A Light In the Darkest Heart
by aryaunderfoot11
Summary: If there is one thing Dean Winchester is sure of, it's that witches are evil. That is, until one chance encounter with a child whitelighter brings him and his brother Sam, face to face with the Charmed Ones, who have their own doubts about the Winchesters' affiliation with good. With the fate of their families intertwined, they must fight to protect their worlds as they know them.
1. The Boy Who Orbed

**Author's Note: Before you begin your journey into this world of Supernaturally Charmed things, please know that a lot in these worlds have been changed to fit this story's purpose. Not everything will be canon. That said, this story takes place somewhere in the middle of season 10 of Supernatural, and somewhere in the middle of season 7 of Charmed. Please don't be confused by the fact that Leo and Piper are still married (I hated the storyline where they were broken up and he went crazy) and that Chris and Wyatt are probably a little older than is canon, it just works better for the story.**

 **That being said, please enjoy! I love these characters, and where this writing has taken me. Their worlds work so well together, it's really been awesome to experiment with!**

1- The Boy Who Orbed

The sunroom of Halliwell Manor was in shambles, as it had been so many times before. The stained glass from the windows laid shattered all over the floor. Furniture was upended, potted plants broken, and in the middle of it all, two sisters were trying to keep any more of it from being destroyed, while the third sprinted upstairs to the Book of Shadows, trying to make heads or tails out of what exactly was going on in their house.

"Phoebe, the boys!" Piper Halliwell screamed, as her sons, Chris and Wyatt, were approached by one of the demons they were fighting. At least Piper thought these things were demons, though they didn't seem quite right. Usually demons didn't look so human, and normally it didn't take much more than a flick of her fingers to dispel them from existence. But each time she blew one of these demons up, a cloud of black smoke escaped the wreckage and one of their neighbors barged into the house, eyes newly black, ready for a fight.

Piper had gotten tired of evil creatures being after her children a long time ago. Seriously, how long would it be before Wyatt and Chris would want to play outside, or visit a friend's house? As a mother she would want to let them do these things, but a demon attack was inevitable with these kids. As a witch, and of course as a mother too, she would never be able to let them out of her sight, at least not until they could control their powers, which could take years of training.

A brunette demon, who looked to be no older than twenty, leaned over Wyatt and Chris in their playpen, and reached for them. Quickly Wyatt put up a force field around him and his brother, denying the woman what she had come here for. Infuriated, she telekinetically threw the boys playpen up against a wall. Wyatt and Chris didn't budge, and the debris bounced right off of the blue light surrounding the two of them.

"Good boys!" Phoebe said, running up and delivering a roundhouse kick to the demon woman's stomach. "Piper, we've got to get out of here," she shouted as the demon crumpled to the floor. "I'm not sure what's going on, but we know some of these people. We can't hurt them."

"I'm not so sure they're them anymore," Paige hollered entering the sunroom with two or three demons on her trail.

"What did the Book of Shadows say?" Piper asked.

"Nothing," Paige replied. "I really have no clue what's going on here, but Phoebe's right. We can't stay here right now."

Piper nodded, "Phoebe, can you grab the boys?"

Phoebe turned to pick up her nephews, but was surprised to find that they were no longer standing near her.

"Piper where are they?"

Piper whirled around, freezing the entire room, "What do you mean, where are they?"

"They are clearly no longer next to me," Phoebe replied, gesturing to the place where the boys had just been standing. "Also, why did you not do the whole freezy-freeze thing like ten minutes ago?"

Ignoring her sister's second question Piper asked, "Where could they have gone? You were standing right next to them!"

Paige shrugged, "Maybe they got scared and orbed away?"

"I'll check upstairs," Phoebe offered, and immediately left the room.

A few seconds later she yelled down the stairs that she had found Wyatt in the attic.

"Where's Chris?"

"He's not upstairs," Phoebe said, walking back into the sunroom, Wyatt on her hip.

"Mama," a small voice rang out.

Piper turned to see her three-year-old son, floppy brown hair tousled, green eyes glistening with terrified tears. She tried to get to him, hoping she could calm his fears, but in her motherly panic the entire room unfroze and the countless demons, and neighbors turned demons, all sprang back to life. Noticing the youngest Halliwell standing in the doorway to the sunroom, one of the demons lunged for him.

Knowing there was no other way out for him, Piper screamed, "Chris, sweetie orb! Orb away!"

In the nick of time Chris disappeared in a shimmer of blue light, a look of sheer terror on his little face.

"Where did he go?" Piper screamed. "Phoebe, Paige, do you see him?"

"No. But Piper, we have to go," Phoebe said.

"But Chris—"

"He's a smart boy. I'm sure he orbed somewhere safe. We need to go, now. We'll scry for him as soon as we possibly can. I promise, sweetie."

Piper grabbed Paige's hand, looking around for just a glimpse of Chris before they orbed away, to no avail. Her mind began to race. Her baby boy was missing, who knows where he was or if he was safe? Who knows what kind of person would find him? She could only hope that wherever he was, he could find his way back to her.

* * *

"Do you have any pie?" Sam Winchester asked the convenience store clerk.

"Pie… Yeah I think it's in the third aisle," he says pointing dismissively.

"Thanks."

Sam investigated the aisle, still no pie. Dean was going to be pissed. He picked up some cheap beer, and a couple copies of "Busty Asian Beauties", hoping that that would be enough to keep his brother from killing him. After all, he had sent Sam out specifically for pie.

He paid the clerk, who looked like he would rather be anywhere else, and headed back out to the Impala. Lebanon, Kansas in the summertime was dry as a bone, and Sam had seriously considered investing in some shorts as of late. He and Dean had been spending so much time here in the bunker, trying to get Dean well again, that it would almost be worth the credit card fraud. But, you can't hunt in shorts, so he had to be content with being extremely warm in his usual jeans and flannel. At least his legs would have a better chance of staying in one piece that way.

Sam tossed the plastic bag containing his purchases into the passenger seat of the car, and started filling up the gas tank. While he was waiting for the pump to stop he happened to glance up at the road.

Not many cars come through Lebanon, so when a little boy with brown hair, and stubby little legs, wearing an orange t-shirt and jeans materializes out of a blue stream of light in the middle of the street, there is a good chance he won't get run over. And he didn't. Sam wasn't sure what he was seeing was actually legitimate, or if he had finally taken one too many shots to the head, but this tiny human being toddled his way across the street and into the gas station parking lot, without so much as a scratch on him, though he was crying like he'd been hit by a car anyway.

By the time he made it to the lot a few people had noticed the kid, who couldn't be much older than three, standing by himself with cars whizzing all around him, looking completely lost. Clearly there was something supernatural at play here, so before anyone could ask too many questions, Sam ran over to the little boy and scooped him up.

"Oh, hey there little guy! You thought you could get away from Daddy didn't you?" Sam ad-libbed, hoping he could pass for this little boy's father at first glance.

"Mama," the little boy sniffed.

"Yeah, that's right we're going to go see Mama," he said, smiling at a few skeptical onlookers. "Mama's at home. Let's go see her."

He buckled the boy into the backseat of the Impala, hoping he would stay in one place, and not do the shimmery thing again until he could get him to the bunker and talk to Dean and Cas. At least being picked up and soothed had calmed the boy somewhat. He had stopped crying the minute Sam mentioned his mother. Hopefully he could actually find her, or there would be the issue of what to do with a three-year-old boy. They couldn't exactly manage a child in their line of work.

"Come on buddy," Sam said pulling the boy back out of the car once they had reached the bunker.

"Mama," the boy replied.

"Yeah, we're going to find your Mama, I promise. But first, we're going to find out exactly what you are."

Sam entered the bunker and locked the door behind him. The place was in a state of disarray after he and Dean had worked a particularly hard case. It had been a clan of vampires fighting a clan of werewolves in a nearby Kansas town. Apparently the feud had been going on for years, and the Men of Letters had a very long, very detailed, very _bloody_ account of each of the attacks, though none of them had been linked until Sam and Dean had gotten wind of the most recent bloodbath. They had negotiated with each of the clans, and unfortunately had to put most of each family down. The amount of blood spilt between them was enough to keep what little remained of each family in check for many years to come. Not to mention Sam and Dean had vowed to keep an eye on them in the future, and if they caught wind of even a rumor that the fighting had started up again, that would be the end of both families, period.

"Sam, is that you?" Dean yelled from the next room.

"Nope, pizza delivery guy. Yeah it's me, who else would it be?"

"Did you bring pie?"

"Uh… no. They didn't have any."  
"Did you check the store further down the road?"

"Once again, no. Something kind of came up."

"What do you mean something came up? Wait, I thought of a better question, what could come up that is more important than pie?"

"Just get in here, Dean!"

"Alright, alright, I'm coming."

Dean entered the room dressed in his typical flannel and jeans, almost identical to Sam's. His sleeves were rolled up so you could clearly see the Mark of Cain on his right forearm. Sam hated looking at it. It made him feel so helpless, so inadequate, and so unable to do anything to help his brother. But, that was a thought for another time. Right now they needed to focus on the toddler who could disappear and reappear in less than a second, who was also missing his mother.

"What is that?" Dean asked, noticing the child.

"Uh, it's a kid."

"Yeah, I can see that, Sam. I send you out for pie, and you bring back a baby! Well let me tell you, I'll be going out for my own pie from now on."

"He's not exactly a baby, more of a toddler," Sam retorted. "And he's also a little more than that."

"What are you talking about?"

"He's… special."  
"Are we talking special like not right in the head, or special like… our kind of special, like supernaturally special?"

"He kind of… appeared in the middle of the road in this… shimmer of blue light."

"He just appeared?"

"Yeah. He was bawling, kind of scared out of his mind. People were starting to notice a kid all by himself, screaming bloody murder, so I picked him up before people started asking too many questions."

"And no one thought it was weird that _you_ picked him up?"

Sam shrugged, "I pretended I was his Dad."

Dean snorted.

"What's funny?" Sam asked, putting the kid down on the floor.

"You, as a father. It's a thought that has never actually crossed my mind before."

"I'd be a great father."

"Okay."`

"Seriously, I am not having this argument with you right now. There are bigger things to worry about."

"All I'm saying, is that everyone knows that I'm the one who's good with kids."

"Who's everyone, Dean?" Sam asks incredulously.

His brother looked momentarily lost for a comeback, "You know… people. Just watch." Dean walked over to the little boy who was flipping through the pages of one of the Men of Letters' many tomes that had been left lying around.

"Hey little guy," Dean said, picking up the boy. "You like me more than that giant oaf over there, am I right?"

The kid proceeded to scream his head off in reply, and wasted no time shimmering himself back to Sam's side. And then, to Dean and even Sam's surprise, the boy stretched his little arms up over his head, his own way of asking to be picked up. A request that Sam granted, placing the child on his hip, before shooting a shameless smirk in Dean's general direction.

"You were saying?"

"Whatever," Dean said gruffly, "It's clearly a fluke. So anyway, what do you suppose this kid is? Is he good, evil?"

"He doesn't seem evil. Whatever he is, he's smart."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it, the kid likes you, moving on. This kid _could_ be evil, which would account for his character. Let's hit the books, huh?"

"Sure, but maybe you should call Cas in here. With a little kid running around I'm not sure how much I can really accomplish here."

"Cas!" Dean yelled gruffly.

"You called," a figure stepped into the room, wearing a cheap suit and a tan trench coat. He was Castiel, an angel of the Lord, and the Winchesters' constant companion.

"Yeah," Dean replied. "Sam found a kid with supernatural abilities at the gas station and he needs us to do all the heavy lifting and figure out what we're dealing with, while he plays Candyland with the thing."

"Supernatural abilities? What kind of supernatural abilities?"

"He does this disappearing act, in a blue, kind of shimmery light," Dean told him, not looking up from the stack of books he was rifling through.

"Yeah," Sam concurred, "He just appeared in the middle of the road near the gas station, obviously scared. I've never seen anything like it."

"I have," Cas said bluntly.

"You have?" Dean asked, stopping in his tracks. "You know what this kid is? Is he evil?"

"No, actually far from it. He's a whitelighter, a kind of guardian angel. There's nothing more pure, though I've never met one so… young."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked.

"Well, usually whitelighters are not born, nor are they created like me or my brothers and sisters were. They become whitelighters after death."

"After death?" Dean questioned.

"Yes, when the elders, a group of very old, very wise whitelighters, see a person who has lived a life for others, a life worth saving from death, they resurrect them and send them to protect the innocent of the world."

"Cas, what the hell are you talking about?" Dean spat.

"You say he appeared in a shimmer of blue light?" Cas asked.

"Yes," Sam told him.

"He is a whitelighter."

"But you said whitelighters become whitelighters _after_ death?"

"In my experience, yes that is the way they are made."  
"Then how is this kid a whitelighter?" Dean asked. "He can't be more than three years old."

"I am not sure. Like I said, I have never met one so young. Perhaps if we find out where he came from we can find out more."

"Well isn't that a fine idea. I never thought of that one. How are we supposed to do that? He could have come from anywhere."

"That is true," Castiel replied. "Though, as young as he is… Sam, you said when he appeared he was frightened. Has he orbed again since you found him?"

"Orbed?"

"The shimmery blue thing you described is called orbing. It is how whitelighters get from place to place."

"Oh, uh, yeah. He _orbed_ again when Dean tried to pick him up."

"Did he seem frightened by Dean?"

"Hey!" Dean yelled.

"Maybe a little," Sam said, adjusting the child in his arms.

"It is alright Dean, Whitelighters are extremely sensitive to anything malevolent. It is possible that when you picked him up, he could sense the Mark of Cain. To a child that type of extreme evil could be very alarming."

Sam saw Dean's jaw tense at the mention of "extreme evil", but he didn't make any attempts to defend the mark, or himself.

"So what you're saying is he only orbs when he's scared," Sam said, starting to understand why Cas was asking all of these questions.

"Precisely. For as young as this child is, I would not be surprised if he does not have full control of his powers quite yet."

"What other powers do whitelighters have?" Sam asked.

"They are great healers, and a powerful force of good in this world, but as I said before they are very sensitive to emotion, which is why you should get him back to where he came from as soon as you possibly can. A great deal of turmoil could cause a whitelighter so young to panic and begin to use his powers for the wrong instead of the right."

"Can you get inside his head or something?" Dean asked. "See where he came from."

Cas placed his two dominant fingers on Chris's forehead, and then scowled, "Something is preventing me from accessing his mind. There is warding of some sort protecting him."

"Great, so we're back to square one."

"Maybe there's a reason he orbed to Lebanon," Dean suggested. "Maybe his family is from around here. I could ask around town, see if a kid's gone missing."

Sam nodded, "Sounds like as good of a place to start as any. Although I think I'd better try and get this little guy something to eat pretty soon. He's starting to get squirmy, and I can hear his stomach growling."

"Yeah, his and mine both," Dean said. "If only I had some pie to tide me over…"

"Oh would you give it up with the pie!" Sam hollered out behind him as he made his way to the bunker's kitchen.

Opening the fridge he wracked his brain for what someone around the age of three might like to eat. He didn't have to wonder for very long, since the minute he opened the drawer near the bottom of the fridge, a bag of baby carrots came floating out of it and landed in his hand. Sam stood there for a moment staring at the carrots, not sure if he was going crazy for the second time that day, but then the half gallon of milk that he used on his cheerios in the morning also floated into midair and landed on the kitchen table.

"Did you just do that?" Sam asked the child, who surprised him yet again by nodding his head in complete comprehension of what Sam had asked him.

"How?"

The child did not reply this time, but instead pointed at the carrots.

"You and Dean with your one track minds," Sam sighed. "Him with his pie, and you with your carrots. I'll never get anything done around here."

Sam sat the child down in one of the chairs at the table, and then realized he was way too short to sit in a normal seat.

"Cas!" he shouted.

"Yes Sam?" the angel replied from the next room.

"Bring me three or four of those huge red books on the table in there."

Cas walked into the kitchen with three of the Men of Letters' largest chronicles of demon possession dating back to the thirties. They weighed in at around fifty pounds each, but Castiel carried them like they weighed nothing. Since the angel had lost his wings, Sam had started to see him as human because he couldn't blink from place to place anymore. Instead he had to drive across the country like everyone else. So, when Sam did witness Castiel's divine strength at work, it took him a moment to process.

"Where would you like these, Sam?" he asked.

"Uh… Just put them on the chair here so this little guy can reach the table."

Cas did as he was instructed, and Sam sat the boy down on top of the books. He poured a couple of carrots out on the table and poured him a glass of milk. Sam wasn't sure if that would be enough to tide the kid over, but he sat down in the chair next to him anyway, and waited for him to request more. Then again, maybe he would just open up the fridge himself and make a sandwich with his mind.

"Hey Cas, I know you said that whitelighters can orb and heal, but are they ever telekinetic?"

Castiel looked taken aback for a moment, "Not in my experience. Why do you ask?"

"Um… This kid may or may not have just moved that gallon of milk without using his hands."

"You are sure it was the child that moved it?"

"I don't know how else it could have been done. It was just me and him in this room."

Cas frowned, which wasn't much different from the way his face normally looked. But, after knowing him for so long Sam could tell the subtle difference.

"Does this change things?"

"I'm not sure," Cas replied. "As I said before, he is not a normal whitelighter. Right now focusing on finding his family is what is most important. Perhaps then we can find out what is really at work here."

Sam nodded, and then helped the boy take a drink of milk. He was a cutie, that was for sure, with his dimples and his chubby little cheeks. He was also extremely well behaved, at least for the short time he had been in the bunker. He was awfully quiet for his age, and hadn't messed anything up yet. Sam could feel the boy growing on him more as each second passed.

"Where did you come from little guy?" he asked, more in a general sense than directly to the child. Sam watched as the boy brought another carrot to his mouth, and then noticed something he hadn't before: a medical identification bracelet on the child's right wrist, the kind of bracelet you get when you check into a hospital. Sam leaned closer to the child so he could read it clearly.

"Cas, I know who this boy is."

Cas turned back toward Sam, "What are you talking about?"

"His name is Christopher Perry Halliwell, and three days ago he visited the San Francisco Bay Area Memorial Hospital for… a concussion."

"Halliwell… that name sounds familiar to me. I can't quite place it. But, why would such a young child have a concussion?"

"Just another question to add to the list, Cas. But, at least we have a better place to start now than just hoping someone in Lebanon has heard of him."

"I will go tell Dean. I'm not sure he has left yet," Cas said before exiting the room.

Sam turned back to the boy, and helped him get another sip of milk.

"Well Mr. Halliwell," he said when Chris finished eating, "It looks like we're going to take you home, if San Francisco really is your home."

"Mama," Chris replied with the only word he had uttered since coming to Kansas. Sam felt a pang in his chest. He felt for this boy. Dean and Sam both knew, better than most, how it felt to grow up without a mother and miss her terribly every day.

"I know you miss your Mama, Christopher. I'll bet she misses you too, and I promise you, we will find her, okay? We're going to get you back to her one way or another, I swear."

 **End Notes:**

 **Thank you so much for reading! I have a few chapters already written, and I have been writing more all the time, so I promise I'll update soon.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW! I would love to know what you think of my portrayal of the Winchesters and the Halliwells! Are they all in character? Please be honest! I love all kinds of feedback!**

 **xoxo AryaUnderfoot**


	2. Sunday In the Park With Chris

2- Sunday in the Park with Chris

"So what now?" Dean asked his brother, who was sitting in the backseat of the Impala, doing his best to keep Christopher entertained. What could have been a one day drive, the way Dean speeds, had turned into a three day affair. Sam had insisted they stop at night so the kid could sleep in a real bed instead of the car. While seeing the two share a bed had been touching, Dean was not all that thrilled to be in a hotel room with his brother, a three-year-old, and Cas, who creepily sat in a chair all night because he doesn't sleep. He had gotten used to his own room, his own bed, and being away from all of that was making him cranky.

"I'm not sure. I guess we could take him to the hospital he was checked into, maybe see if we can get some information on him there," Sam suggested.

"They aren't going to tell us anything."

"Not even if we go federal?"

"I suppose that's an option," Dean said, dreading the idea of putting on a suit in the eighty degree weather California was currently undergoing.

"Park," Chris said suddenly.

"What buddy?" Sam asked, wondering if he had really heard Chris utter a word that wasn't 'mama'.

"Park," Chris said again, his 'r' sounding more like a 'w' as he pointed toward a clearing across the street from where they had stopped to gas up the car.

"You want to go to the park?" Sam asked him before he scooped the child up and started for the clearing.

"Oh no you don't!" Dean yelled, stopping Sam in his tracks. "We do not have time for this. The park is not happening."

"Come on, Dean. We don't really have any leads as to where this kid belongs. Maybe he recognizes the park, or better yet maybe someone will come by and recognize him. What do we have to lose?"

After a little more give and take, Dean found himself laying under a tree in the park, staring at the sky while Sam and Cas busied themselves by playing with Christopher. After about a half an hour the kid had finally worn both himself and Sam out, and his brother sprawled out on the grass, leaning up against the tree. Christopher toddled over and sat down on Sam's lap, like they were old friends, and started to fiddle around with the grass by his feet. Cas on the other hand, was not completely exhausted, and opted to stand.

"He's an energetic one, that's for sure," Dean said.

"No kidding," Sam chuckled, still breathing pretty heavily.

There was silence for a few moments which allowed Sam to catch his breath before he said, "So, I've been meaning to ask… How have you been feeling lately?"

Dean cocked his head to the side, "How have I been feeling lately?"

"Yeah, you know, with the Mark and all. You seem better, more… in control. Do you feel better?"

"Uh, yeah I guess so. I mean, I haven't had the urge to kill anyone recently, but the more you keep talking, the more that could change."

"Dean, I'm serious. You really do seem to be doing better, but you're good at hiding these things. Just be honest."

Dean nodded, "Okay, _honestly_ most of the time I feel like crap. This Mark, it's not like it only makes me lust for blood. It just puts me in a generally bad mood, clouds the things that are good, makes them seem… not as good. I don't know. It's like, I know I'm me, but I don't feel like me."

"That sounds hard," Sam said, brushing Christopher's hair back from his eyes.

"You really like that little guy, don't you?"

Sam smiled a little, "I have to keep reminding myself that he isn't mine. That eventually I'm going to have to give him back to whomever he belongs to. But, don't change the subject."

"There's not much more to say, Sammy. I'm not one hundred percent okay, and I know that. But, I'm working on it, and I'm living with it."

"I just want you to know that I'm here for you. You can talk about it whenever you need to."

"I too am here for you, Dean," Castiel added. "I hope that is a comfort to you."

"That's a great comfort, Cas. Thanks," Dean replied sarcastically.

That was really all he needed, an angel and his kid brother going all chick-flick on him. Dean knew that they were just trying to be supportive, but he wasn't blind. He had seen Sam look at the Mark before, when he thought Dean wasn't looking. Dean knew that the fact that he could do nothing to get rid of it made Sam impossibly mad, furious even, and he couldn't help but wonder if Sam was mad at him too, for taking the mark on in the first place.

"I'll be fine Sammy. We just need to keep on keepin' on. Eventually we'll get this thing off of my arm. But, first thing's first, we need to get that kid off of yours."

* * *

"Try again!"

"Piper, I have scryed for hours. I have scryed until I was sure my wrist was going to fall off. Sweetie, we need to try a locator spell," Phoebe told her sister, throwing her crystal on a string aside.

"I really don't want to risk the personal gain, Phoebe! Just try one more time. Do it over the map of the city this time."

"But he could have orbed anywhere—"

"Phoebe, he's been gone for almost four days. If someone wanted to bring him back, they'd be here by now, so just do it. Call it a mother's intuition."

Phoebe sighed, picked up the crystal once again, and began to swing it over a map of the city of San Francisco. Piper paced back and forth across the attic floor, willing her intuition to be right. With each spin of the crystal she lost more and more hope. Where was her son? Why hadn't he come back to her?

"Oh my god," Phoebe murmured suddenly.

Piper's head spun around to see that the tip of the crystal had finally landed on the map. She felt relief flood through every bone in her body as she yelled for Paige to come upstairs.

"What's up?" Paige asked, walking swiftly into the room with Wyatt on her hip.

"I found Chris!" Phoebe exclaimed.

"Okay, okay, where is he?" Piper asked, looking down at the map for the first time.

"It looks like he's in the park, not too far from here," Paige answered, a quizzical look on her face.

"Well, goddammit let's orb!" Piper yelled, ready to have her son safely in her arms. "Phoebe, can you stay with Wyatt?"

"Are you sure?" the middle Halliwell asked. "You might need the power of three, we have no idea what has happened to Chris in these last couple of days, or who he's been with."

"If we get into trouble we'll just orb back," Piper replied. "I haven't even told Leo that Chris has been missing, so if I call him down here things are going to have to be pretty serious."

"Alright," Phoebe said, taking Wyatt's hand as Paige put him down. "Go get my littlest nephew back."

Piper grabbed Paige's hand, and prepared herself for the experience that was orbing. It had never been Piper's favorite thing, but after marrying a whitelighter she had gotten used to it. Orbing sort of felt like someone had taken ahold of your belly button, and as you disappeared they started to pull it outward but when you reappeared they shoved it immediately back inward. It was rough the first time around, and the millionth time too, but if it meant Piper could save an innocent, or in this case her own son, faster, then the sensation was worth it.

As she and Paige materialized in the park Piper immediately spotted Chris. He was sitting near a tree with three men. One of them was standing up, it seemed for no particular reason. He had dark hair and tan skin, and was wearing a trench coat, a style Piper thought was a little hot for California in July. Another one of them was laying down in the grass, clad in flannel and denim. His sleeves were rolled up to reveal a red tattoo on his right forearm of a strange symbol, a perpetual scowl was plastered on his face. And the last man, the one holding her son, was large. He had long brown hair, and eyes like a puppy might have, all droopy and sweet. For such a big human, he held Chris delicately, as if he was afraid he might break if held too tight.

Piper wasn't sure who they were, or how to approach them. She hadn't expected her son's kidnappers to seem so… normal, or nice. It took her off guard. But, she did know that she wanted her son back. So, she started toward them, hoping she could improvise in the moment.

Chris saw her first, and pointed at her, saying "Mama". The man with the long hair looked up, and seemed surprised that there was actually someone walking toward them.

"Chris!" Piper yelled, no longer able to control her relief in seeing him there safe. She ran to him, and scooped him up in her arms, pretty sure she was never going to let go of him again.

"You must be Christopher's mom. We've been hearing a lot about you," said the guy with the tattoo.

"Is that so?" Piper asked, cradling Chris so he was facing away from his captors.

"We're really glad you found us," long-haired guy told her. "We weren't sure how to go about finding you..."

"Excuse me?" Piper asked. "You were trying to find me?"

"Um, yeah. To return your kid," tattoo guy replied, a little bit of bite in his voice.

Piper's eyebrows shot up, "So you aren't some kind of evil, demon-y, crazies trying to steal my son?"

"Hey lady, would we have brought the kid all the way from Kansas if we wanted to keep him _away_ from you?" tattoo guy asked, clearly irritated now.

"Dean, chill," long-hair said. Tattoo guy, or Dean, Piper supposed, huffed and walked off, trench-coat man on his heels.

"Your friend, he—he said Kansas. What was my son doing in _Kansas_?"

"Honestly we aren't completely sure of that ourselves. He kind of just materialized in the middle of the road near a gas station. Thankfully I was there, and no one else really saw him. That kind of thing could raise a lot of questions, you know?"

Piper nodded, unsure of what to say next. How much did these guys really know about what they were dealing with? This man seemed completely unfazed by the fact that Chris could orb, but why?

"I'm Sam, Sam Winchester, and that big ball of joy was my brother Dean, the other one was Castiel, a friend of ours."

Piper sighed, still not completely sure what to do, "I'm uh… I'm Piper Halliwell, and that's my sister Paige, over there by the bushes."

Sam looked over, noticing the redhead for the first time, and waved a quiet hello. Paige waved back nervously, and then decided to make her way over.

"Hey there Piper, what's goin' on?" Paige asked, clearly not sure why Piper wasn't blowing, what she considered to be the hulking demon in front of her, to bits.

"Paige, this is Sam. He is returning Chris to us."

Sensing Piper's unsure tone Paige looked Sam over, "Oh, he is, is he?"

Sam laughed nervously, "Is there something wrong? Was I not supposed to bring him back?"

Piper exchanged a look with her sister, but before she could answer him, Dean walked back over and interrupted her.

"Look, I'm sorry I snapped at you…"

"Piper," she informed him.

"Piper. We just had a long drive over, and I'm apparently not the best with kids right now. But, the last thing I really want to do is piss off a family of whitelighters, no matter how fluffy and good you people are supposed to be, so I apologize."

Paige and Piper looked at one another again, this time exchanging a look of confusion.

"Uh, excuse me, hi I'm Paige," the younger Halliwell interjected. "Did you just refer to us as a family of whitelighters?"

"That's what you are isn't it?" Dean replied.

"You know what whitelighters are?" Piper asked.

"Uh, yeah. We're hunters."

"You're what?" Piper asked.

"Hunters, of the supernatural variety."

"Hunters… okay. So you hunt what, exactly?"

Dean shrugged, "Any evil sons of bitches we find lying around. Demons, vengeful spirits, vampires, witches, djinn, _dragons_ , you name it, we've hunted it."

Paige's eyes bugged out of her head, "Did you say witches?"

"Friggin' witches," Dean muttered.

Sam put a hand up, "We hunt what's evil, and what's hurting people. That's all."

"And what about you?" Piper asked Castiel. "You're awfully quiet. Do you hunt witches too?"

"I sometimes assist the brothers in their hunting duties, yes. But first and foremost I am an Angel of the Lord, kin to whitelighters like yourselves."

"You're an angel," Paige said, not believing her ears.

"Yes, Castiel, or Cas as the Winchesters have come to call me."

As her sister continued to talk to these peculiar men, Piper was deep in thought on what to do about them. On the one hand, in their time they may have killed hundreds of her sister witches. Dean seemed like he wasn't the biggest fan of her kind. But, on the other hand Sam said that they've only killed evil beings, and that didn't apply to her and her sisters. They had brought Chris back to her under the pretense that her family was a family of whitelighters, but if they had known that her son was half-witch, would they have done the same thing?

"That's a great little guy you've got there," Sam said to her, as Paige continued to grill Castiel about heaven and whether or not there was a shopping mall there.

"Oh, yeah? I think we'll keep him," she said, ruffling his hair.

"He hasn't said another word besides 'mom' the entire time he's been with us. I'm just really glad we found you."

Piper heard Sam saying these words to her, but there was a sadness in his voice that suggested he didn't fully mean them.

"He has a way of making people become attached to him, doesn't he?" she asked with a knowing smile.

Sam made eye contact with her for a split second before looking back at Chris. Chris stared back up at him, and then surprised Piper by stretching his little arms out to the man. Immediately Sam looked uncomfortable, and admittedly Piper also didn't want to let her son go again. But, she was also curious to see what Chris would do with the person that, a few minutes ago, Piper would have thought to be her son's captor, not his friend.

"Go ahead," she urged Sam.

"You're sure. I know you just got him back."

"He seems to trust you, and that isn't a recommendation I take lightly."

Sam took Chris into his arms, and almost instantly a huge smile spread across her son's face. Piper knew then that if Chris trusted him, he must be a good person. Whitelighters had an instinct about certain people. The true test would be in taking him the manor and seeing how Wyatt responded to the brothers and their angelic friend with his force field. The thought gave Piper an idea.

"Why don't you guys come to our house?" Piper suggested, pulling Paige out of her conversation with the angel.

"Wait, what?" she asked.

"Yeah, I mean, clearly Chris likes you Sam, and you all had such a long drive getting him back to us. I'm a cook, and I'd really love to make you a meal, as a thank you."

"Piper, are you sure…" Paige said through gritted teeth.

"Of course. I'm sure Phoebe, our other sister," she explained to the boys, "Would love to thank you as well."

"There's another one of you?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, actually there used to be four of us."

"What happened to all of the dudes in your family tree?"

"Halliwells tend to have female children, that's just our way. At least until my children were born."

"Children?" Sam questioned. "You have more than one?"

"I have one more, Chris's older brother Wyatt. I'd love for you to come and meet him too."

Dean and Sam looked at each other, and despite Sam's size, Piper could tell immediately that Dean was the older brother. The way Sam looked at him was not for communication, but for _confirmation_. It was a look that Piper had seen on her own sisters' faces many times. Sam was silently pleading with Dean, whose scowl was still fixed on his face. He seemed so closed off, so angry and defensive, even toward his brother.

So, Piper was especially taken aback when Dean turned to her and asked, "Would it be too much to request some pie?"

Piper smiled, "Of course not. How does key lime sound?"

Dean responded with a simple, almost shy nod, prompting Paige to ask if they wanted orb back to the manor.

"Personally," Castiel chimed in, "I would like to try orbing, if you don't mind."

"A chance to have your wings back, eh Cas?" Dean asked, clapping his friend on the shoulder.

"Something like that."

"Okay, one for orbing," Paige announced, "Any other takers?"

"Not me," Dean said. "I'll stick to driving."

Piper looked over to the vintage muscle car that Dean was clearly very proud of, and tried not to imagine her son in the backseat of it, without a car seat. The thought made her slightly nauseous.

"Sam?" Paige asked.

"Yeah, I'll give it a go. Come on Dean. Baby will be fine while we're gone."

"I don't trust hippies, Sam, especially with my baby, and this town is full of 'em," Dean replied gruffly.

"You call your car, Baby?" Paige giggled.

Dean turned an unflattering shade of red before agreeing to orb along with the rest of them.

"I've never moved this many people at one time. I'm not sure I can do it."

"Give it a try, Paige. I'm sure when Chris realizes what you're doing he'll help you."

"Don't you orb, Piper?" Dean asked.

"No, I'm actually not a whitelighter. My husband is one, which accounts for my children being half-whitelighter."

"But, how is Paige—"

"She's our half-sister. Her father was a whitelighter, making her the only other one in the family besides my boys."

"I was not aware that whitelighters are allowed to mate with mortals," Castiel said.

"It's pretty frowned upon to tell you the truth. We Halliwells are just a bunch of rule breakers. You ready Paige?" Piper asked, trying to shake these guys' questions until she knew more about them.

"Okay, hands everyone," the youngest Halliwell sister requested, taking Castiel's hand on one side, and grabbing Sam's arm on the other, so he could continue to hold Chris while they orbed. Piper gingerly took Sam's hand, and then Dean's, starting to wonder if this was a good idea after all. They'd been tricked into trusting evil beings before.

"It's going to feel like someone is pulling on your stomach. It's hard the first time, just do your best to keep your balance."

With no more time to spare, Piper felt that all too familiar tug at her belly button, and hoped she was making the right decision.

* * *

Phoebe Halliwell paced back and forth over the attic floor, hoping her sisters were doing alright without her help. They had been gone for what seemed like too long, but in reality had only been about ten minutes. Her nerves had gotten the best of her before, and it was taking everything she had not to call for Leo in that moment.

"Aunt Phoebe," Wyatt said.

"Yes, honey?" she said, ceasing her pacing to look up at her five-year-old nephew.

"Do you think there is something in the Book of Shadows that will help bring Chris home faster?"

Phoebe's heart lurched, "Oh sweetie," she said, rushing to Wyatt's side, "Your Mommy and Auntie Paige are working so hard to bring your brother home, and I am sure they will be back really, really soon."

"I wanna help."

"I know, but we know where Chris is now, so unfortunately there isn't much left to do besides wait."

Just as she said that, a shimmer of blue light dropped through the ceiling and her sisters appeared, holding hands with three other men, one of whom was holding Chris in his arms. Phoebe took a few steps toward Wyatt, not sure if this was a possession situation. If it was, she would need him to orb them out of there as soon as possible, something she wasn't entirely sure he could do yet. His powers had been progressing, but he wasn't doing much more than orbing himself yet.

"Hey guys," she tried.

"Hey Phoebs," Piper replied, taking Chris back from the very tall, very muscular, but somehow still the sweet looking one of the bunch. "Look who we brought home!"

Phoebe hesitated, but then remembered that if his mother was possessed, Chris would know, and he would not go anywhere near her. Relief flooded every part of her, and she rushed toward her nephew.

"Hi sweetheart," she said in a baby voice, and then kissed him ten or twenty times. "I missed you so much!"

"Mommy?" Wyatt asked from behind his aunt.

"Hi, baby, I'm back," Piper replied, hugging her oldest son. "And so is your brother, safe and sound."

Piper placed Chris down on the floor next to his brother, and the two of them immediately hugged one another. There had always been a strong bond between them, and Phoebe could never see that changing. In fact, Wyatt had probably been more worried about Chris than any of them had been for the last few days.

"Where did you go, dude?" Wyatt asked suddenly in his adorable little voice.

Chris surprised them all by pointing toward the tall man, and answering with a name, "Sam."

"Who's Sam?" Wyatt asked, eying the men suspiciously.

"I am, it's very nice to meet you Wyatt," the man said, stepping forward and pushing his long hair out of his eyes. They were nice eyes, Phoebe thought for a moment, brown, soft, and understanding. Remarkably, Wyatt kept his force field down, following Chris's example, and trusting these men. She let that pass over her as she shook his hand, and introduced herself.

"This is Castiel," Sam told her, as she shook the hand of the stoic figure next to him. His dark hair and blue eyes were a drastic combination, though his attire was disheveled, despite what seemed to be his best efforts.

"And, this is my brother, Dean."

As Phoebe turned to shake the hand of Sam's brother, she was momentarily stunned by the sight of him. First of all, he was gorgeous, all green-eyed, and square-jawed. There was a softness to his face, the vulnerability of a man who cared for others, but when she reached out empathically there was a firm wall built up in front of his emotions, like one who had seen far too much hurt in his life, and been powerless to stop it. Phoebe had felt this in the emotions of another once before, and it wasn't anything she wanted to relive.

"Phoebe," she told him curtly, shaking his hand quickly before letting go and dropping her eyes to the floor. She could feel his eyes still on her, confused as to why he had gotten such a cold greeting, while his brother and their friend had received a warm welcome from her. Suddenly, with his eyes on her, she felt very self-conscious and began to regret the crop top and short-shorts she had picked out that morning.

"Uhhh… well, now that I know your names, why are you in my attic?"

"Phoebe, Sam, Dean, and Cas brought Chris back to us," Piper told her.

"You're kidding."

"No, they really did. And, Chris has really taken to Sam, so I thought I would invite them back to the manor and make them some dinner."

"And they were just chill with orbing here?" Phoebe asked through gritted teeth.

"They're… hunters. They know all about demons, whitelighters, vampires, and all of that good stuff. They hunt the bad ones, apparently."

"So they know what we are?" Phoebe asked.

Piper didn't answer, instead Dean tookk a few steps forward, "What do you mean, 'what you are'?"

"You brought them here and you didn't tell them?" Phoebe said, doing the opposite, and taking a few steps backward.

"I tried to tell her it was a bad idea," Paige chimed in. "I mean they're great for bringing Chris back… but they _hunt_ for our kind."

"Hang on, I know you all have whitelighters in the family, but there's more?" Sam asked.

"What are you?" Dean demanded.

"We're… The Charmed Ones," Piper answered.

Dean shrugged, "Is that supposed to mean something to us?"

"Wait," Castiel interjected, "The Charmed Ones… I have heard of you. Dean, Sam, I am surprised you haven't after all of the reading you've done at the Men of Letter's Headquarters."

"Men of what?" Paige asked.

"Don't change the subject," Dean growled. "What does being a Charmed One mean?"

Paige looked uncomfortable, so Phoebe took it upon herself to answer Dean. For the first time she looked him straight in the eye, and without her voice wavering once, she told him the truth, not sure how he would react.

"It means," she said, "That we're witches."

 **End Notes:**

 **Ah! What a cliff hanger! Please tell me what you think! How are my characters? Did they all react to each other the way you thought, or did it surprise you? Thank you again for reading! I'll update soon!**

 **xoxo AryaUnderfoot11**


	3. Something Wiccan This Way Comes

3- Something Wiccan This Way Comes

 _It means we're witches._

Those words echoed in Dean's mind for a few seconds before he sprang into action. These girls were real sweet, but a witch is a witch. Immediately he went for the seraph blade he had hidden in his jacket. Before he could lunge toward the sisters Sam and Cas both got in his way. Cas got in close, putting his hand on Dean's chest, holding him back, while Sam did the typical Sam thing and put his arms out, standing protectively in front of the sisters.

"Dean," Cas said, "Stop and listen."

"What's there to listen to?" Dean said, stalling for a moment. "You heard her, they're witches."

"They aren't the kind of witches you hunt."

"There's no such thing as a good witch, Cas, this isn't the freaking 'Wizard of Oz'."

"Listen to me for a minute. Dean, stop struggling," Castiel said, and when Dean wouldn't do as he asked, he was forced to use even more of his angelic strength to prove to the oldest Winchester that if necessary, he could push him out the attic window. Dean seemed to get the picture, but looked to his brother, wondering why he was protecting the enemy, and not going after them the same way Dean was. Then, he remembered the kid. Sammy had a soft spot for him, that much was clear, and that was clouding his judgment.

"Sam, they're _witches_."

"Yeah, _we are_ ," the redhead, Paige, spat back at him. "And, there is such a thing as good ones. So, why don't you just listen to your angelic friend for five seconds, before letting your whole macho, creature hunting mojo kick in?"

Dean looked back at Sam, who was smiling at Paige, clearly impressed by the way she had stood up to him.

Cas took a deep breath, "The Charmed Ones are a trio of witches prophesized to rid the world of evil. They get their powers from the Nexus, a force in nature, not through demonic energy. They wield the Power of Three, a Wiccan ability stronger than any other in the supernatural world, along with abilities of their own that surpass those of any other witch by leagues. If you kill them, evil will overrun this world forever. It's as simple as that."

Dean blinked. "Good witches."

Cas nodded, "And the boys are half-witches, which explains a lot, like the telekinesis Sam witnessed, and I'm assuming the reason that I could not access Chris's memories or thoughts."

"When he was born there was a blessing performed by our ancestors that protects him from things like that. It's called a Wiccaning," Piper explained, hoping that she could calm Dean a little if he knew more of the details.

"They are not evil, Dean," Cas reiterated.

Dean couldn't believe his ears. Witches had always been the worst. They come along with their hex bags and their voodoo, and kill people in the most gruesome ways. Dean had a hard time believing that these girls they had just happened upon, were the exception to the rule. What were the odds of that?

"Look," Piper said, moving out from behind Sam, "Let me cook for you. Get to know my sisters and me. If you still think we're evil when you're done with your pie… well, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

Dean was still unsure, but he hesitantly handed Cas the seraph blade he had been gripping tightly. As he relaxed, he realized how irrational his reaction had been. As far as he knew, Piper, Phoebe, and Paige hadn't done anything wrong. Sure, a witch was a witch, but pulling out a weapon without giving them a chance to explain, that was a drastic measure. Even more than that, it was a Cain-like measure. Dean looked down at his arm, and the Mark stared back at him, red, pulsing, begging for a kill. He took a deep breath, attempting to ignore the feeling of self-loathing that was filling him up inside.

"I'm sorry," he said, looking from sister to sister, and then down at the two little boys cowering behind their legs. Immediately he softened. "I have some biases against witches, to say the least, but you didn't deserve to be threatened like that in your own home."

Dean's eyes stopped on Phoebe, the middle sister. She looked back at him warily, and he didn't blame her. But, even in her uncertainty of him, she was beautiful. There was almost nothing to her fairy-like frame, and while Dean had always preferred women with long hair, Phoebe's pixie-cut was making him rethink his stance on the subject. Her bare stomach and tan skin was enough to drive any man crazy, but it was the way she looked at him, like she knew there was something volatile about him, that Dean liked, and hated most. She seemed intuitive, like she could see right through him, and he found that nothing short of intriguing.

"We understand, Dean," Piper replied. "We've been screwed over by enough warlocks and demons to last a lifetime. We shouldn't trust you either, but the truth is, my sons trust you, and they trust Sam. Their opinion is really the only one that matters to me, so I'm going to go start making your dinner. You kids play nice. Sam, do you mind hanging with Chris and Wyatt?"

"Not at all," he said, lighting up.

"Do you guys want a tour?" Paige offered after a long pause. "I can show you where Chris's room is Sam. He might want to show you some of his toys, you know, baby's first cauldron, baby's guide to cackling..."

"That would be great Paige, thanks," Sam said laughing, and Dean could tell in that moment that Sam was smitten with the youngest Halliwell. It wasn't anything specific that he did, in fact Sam might not even know it himself yet, but Dean could tell. He knew his brother well, too well.

They had been on the road together for years, and most of the time it had just been the two of them. It was one thing to carry on with Cas or Crowley, or even Jodi Mills, but it had been a long time since they had met another legitimate hunter. Honestly, most of the ones they had known were dead, but that risk came with the job description. In essence, all they really had was each other, so Dean had memorized pretty much every emotion, and how it manifested itself on Sam's face.

Sam liked smart, sassy girls, and Paige definitely fit that description. Dean wasn't sure if that was a good thing, or a bad thing. They both headed for the door, and Dean began to follow.

"Hang on," Phoebe yelled, and Paige and Sam both turned around. "Piper, get your ass back here!"

"What?" Piper snapped, walking back into the attic.

"Am I seriously the only one of us, that thinks keeping this witch-hating, hunter in our house is a really, really bad idea?"

Paige and Piper were both silent.

"He just brandished a knife and tried to attack us, and you're going to cook him dinner, and give him a tour of our house? That seems just a little screwed up, don't you think?"

Piper turned to Dean, "What have the witches that you've known in your lifetime been like?"

Dean did his best to control the feelings of rage and disgust that he felt just thinking about it, and attempted a reply, "The _only_ kind of witches we've ever encountered have hurt people, badly. They make hex bags, they hide them, and they get revenge on whoever they want in the most brutal ways possible. The jobs are never clean, always gory, and every time we've had to put them down."

The oldest Halliwell turned back to her younger sister, "See Phoebs, we are nothing like that. We just have to prove it. Can you blame him for pulling out a knife after experiences like that? You would have done the same thing. Why else would Chris have orbed to them if they weren't meant to be here?"

"I don't trust him, Piper. There's evil there," Phoebe said in a hushed tone.

"You know I'm not deaf," Dean informed her.

Phoebe frowned.

"Look, Dean," she said, spitting his name out like a rotten piece of food, "I know what I feel. I'm an empath, so I'm a bit of an expert when it comes to these things."

"You're an em-what?" Dean asked.

"An empath," Sam said incredulously. "It means she can sense the moods and feelings of others psychically. That's amazing."

"Thanks," Phoebe said, smiling proudly. "You should see me levitate."

Sam blinked a few times, processing the information he had just been given before asking the question Dean knew was coming next.

"What do you sense from him? I'm curious."

Phoebe looked back at Dean, and once again, it was as if she was peering into his soul, but she looked unsure. He gave her a quick nod, letting her know it was okay to prod through his emotions. He was kind of curious to see what she would come up with.

Phoebe was quiet for a moment, and then she frowned.

"Anger, mostly… I've never felt so much in one person. Do witches really piss you off that much? I mean this isn't just like the 'I stubbed my toe' or 'I locked my keys in the car' kind of anger. This is white, hot, malicious rage."

Dean nodded, "Sounds about right. But, there's more. Tell him."

Phoebe began to move toward him, "You're angry, but you're sad too, heartbroken really… And in pain. I feel pain and longing and despair, but no joy, no happiness."

She looked up at him with concern in her eyes. There was only about a foot between them now, and Dean had to resist the urge to reach out to her, this woman who could see so much, and who could articulate the things he couldn't. To his surprise, Phoebe was the one who reached out to him.

"Where did it all go?" she asked, as she gripped his hands tightly and took a short inhale of breath. Dean watched as Phoebe stood there, suspended in time for a moment, no longer in the room with him, and then came back as quickly as she had gone.

Phoebe looked up at Dean with fear in her eyes this time. Quickly she snatched her hands away from him and took a few steps backward.

"What's going on?" Dean asked.

But, before he could get an answer Phoebe's eyes rolled back into her head, and she fainted.

* * *

"What do you think she saw?"

"I'm not sure, but whatever it is, it couldn't have been good. Maybe she's right, Paige. Maybe we shouldn't have them in our house. I mean, they're downstairs watching my kids for Christ's sake. I shouldn't be trusting them this much."

"Is there something telling you that you should?"

"Like I told Phoebe, the boys trust them. Wyatt's force field hasn't budged since they arrived. Chris loves Sam, and honestly I have no problem with him either. It's just…"

"Dean."

"There's just something about him. Something dark."

Phoebe had heard about enough debate from her sisters, and she figured she had better settle it. When she tried to move, it was harder than she thought it might be, so instead of moving, she let out a long, low groan.

"Phoebe?" Piper asked.

"Uhhhhhhhhh…" she replied.

"How are you feeling sweetie?" Paige inquired.

"My head hurts."

"You hit it pretty hard when you fainted."

"I fainted?"

"Yeah," Piper told her, "You held Dean's hand and got a premonition. The next thing we knew you were flat on the ground."

Phoebe thought about it for a minute. Dean. A premonition. And then all at once it came flooding back to her. The feelings of rage and complete despair she felt in Dean. The feelings that had made her want to help him, like she had tried to help another like him once. She had grabbed his hands, not expecting the premonition. They rarely came when she didn't ask for them anymore. And she wished that she hadn't seen the things her premonition had wanted to show her. More than that she had no idea where to begin figuring out whether or not she should fear Dean, or revere him.

"I remember now. Not the fainting, obviously, but the premonition."

"What did you see?" Paige asked.

"Dean, mostly."

There was silence.

"Yes…" Piper prompted.

"He killed this woman, she had red hair, and her eyes were black like those demons we had so much trouble with, the ones we thought took Chris. She was clearly evil, but Dean… he had this thing, this weapon in his hand that looked like… a jawbone?"

"A jawbone… okay. Then what?" Piper asked, clearly skeptical.

"There was a symbol on his arm and it was glowing red… After that there were just flashes of Dean's life. Good things, like him hugging Sam, saying goodbye to a pretty, blonde girl, laughing with a man in a wheelchair who clearly meant a lot to him, but there was one thing so horrible... I saw him with eyes as black as those of a demon, sitting in a room filled with corpses. The main problem is I don't know which of these things are from the past, and which ones haven't happened yet."

"Well, there's only one way to find that out," Piper told her.

Phoebe's sisters helped her stand up, and the three of them headed downstairs. Sam had Chris and Wyatt on the floor of the living room playing with their Hot Wheels. The boys were laughing, clearly having a good time. Dean and Castiel were standing in the corner speaking in hushed tones. Piper cleared her throat to let them know that they were not the only ones in the room anymore.

Sam looked up, "Hey Phoebe, how are you doing?"

"I'm hanging in there. Thanks for asking."

Paige and Piper helped their sister sit down on the couch.

"If you don't mind me asking," Dean said, sitting down on the couch opposite Phoebe, "What just happened up there?"

"For starters," Piper said before Phoebe could answer, "You should probably know that in addition to being Charmed Ones, we have… other abilities."

"Yeah, Cas mentioned that."

"Obviously one of Phoebe's is that she's empathic, but her telepathic abilities don't end there. She can also levitate, and… she has premonitions."

"Premonitions, like she can see the future?" Dean asked.

"Sometimes it's the future," Phoebe said, taking over for Piper. "But, it can be the past too. I've been able to control when I get them for a very long time, but clearly my powers are trying to tell me something about you, Dean. When I grabbed your hands earlier, I had a string of visions. They were… confusing."

Dean didn't reply.

Sam, getting up from the floor, looked at Phoebe with a lot of concern in his eyes. As if he knew some of the things she had seen had to have been frightening beyond belief. She braced herself for his next question.

"What did you see, Phoebe?"

She decided not to answer in the way Sam probably thought she would. Instead she asked Dean if she could see his right forearm.

"Excuse me?" he asked.

"Just let me see it."

"Listen lady—"  
"Is it there? That mark. The one that glows when you're angry."

"I saw a mark on your arm earlier Dean, when we were in the park," Piper added. "I just thought it was a tattoo."

Dean's temples pulsed. He looked around, as if he was cataloguing all of the ways he could escape. There was a nervousness to his every move, and when Phoebe reached out to his emotions, she felt like she was sitting on needles and pins, ready to jump up and run at any moment. Quickly she pulled back from him.

"Sam," Dean said, standing up, "We need to go."

"Dean."

"Sammy, now."

"Just tell them, maybe they can help."

"I don't need their help. _We_ don't need their help. Girls, I'm glad we brought your kid back, maybe you'll keep a better hold on his whitelighter mojo from now on. I'm sorry about the fainting, the visions, and you thinking we were out to kill you all, I really am. But my brother and I are not interested in being friends with you. You don't need to know the details of my life, and I don't want to know yours."

"Dean," Sam said, trying to stop his brother's rant.

"Sam, we are going."

Phoebe watched Sam stare defiantly into the face of his brother, and she knew how much courage it took for him to do it. It would be like her staring down Prue, her oldest sister who was now deceased. Nothing was more difficult than standing up to the person you look up to the most.

"Dean," she tried.

"Look, you are going somewhere with me, that you do not want to go," he warned.

"Just listen to me, please. My premonition had a lot more to it than whatever the mark on your arm is. There were some scary things, believe me, but there were happy things too, there was a man in a wheelchair, and you were laughing with him over a few beers…"

Phoebe saw the corners of Dean's mouth turn up for an instant. Hoping that was a good sign she continued.

"I saw a flash of you hugging Sam, and the feeling I got from that one… It was strong, very… alive. As if you had thought you were dead, but returned instead. And there was also a flash of this sweet, blonde girl. You were in some kind of bar, she was good at surprising you."

At the mention of this girl, Dean locked his eyes on Phoebe's for a split second, and then dropped them to the ground, a kind of hardness returning to his gaze.

"Sam, are you coming or not?"

Sam hesitated, "Yes."

"Let's go then."

Dean turned and began to head for the front door.

"Dean," Castiel said, his voice gruff. "I do not think it is wise for you to leave now."

"Why the hell not?" Dean barked.

"It just… doesn't feel right. Something is telling me that you should stay here, that you are meant to be here right now."

"I don't care what your heavenly intuition is telling you. We're leaving."

"I am not."

"What?" Dean asked, clearly surprised and upset that their friend was not coming with them.

"I'm staying here, that is, if it is alright with the sisters."

Phoebe looked to Piper, who shrugged.

"Sure, why not," the eldest Halliwell replied. "What harm could an angel bring to the household?"

Sam chuckled, "You would be surprised."

"Cas," Dean began to argue.

"I need to stay, Dean. Nothing you say is going to stop me."

Phoebe watched as Dean and Castiel had something of a standoff in her living room. Neither one of them broke eye contact for what felt like minutes, as if they were having a conversation without even talking. When Phoebe really thought about it, she realized weirder things than telepathic conversations had happened in that room. And then, without a single word, Dean turned and walked out of the house.

"I'm really sorry," Sam said. "It was a privilege to meet you all. We all have our demons… some more literal than others. Dean just, refuses to deal with his."

"He's destroying himself. You know that right?" Phoebe asked. "The rage, it's going to eat him alive."

"I know," Sam replied, his voice barely audible. "That's why I have to go with him. Cas, are you going to be okay here?"

"I'll be fine. Tell Dean I'm sorry."

Sam nodded, "Stay in touch, okay?" Then he walked over to Chris, "Bye, buddy! It was nice to meet you."

Chris stood and held his arms out to Sam, making Phoebe's breath hitch. Chris had only ever really taken to three people: his brother, Piper, and Leo. Even Phoebe and Paige had a hard time getting close to him. The fact that Chris trusted this person who was practically a stranger to him was more than remarkable, and it made Phoebe sad to see him go. Sam picked up her nephew, and Chris wrapped his little arms around his neck. Phoebe could see Sam's internal struggle, but before he changed his mind and decided to stay, Sam handed Chris over to Paige and took his leave.

"Sam!" Piper called out to him.

The younger Winchester turned.

"Thank you for bringing my baby by back to me. You will never know how much it means that he is safe."

Sam nodded and then reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card. He handed it to Piper.

"If you ever need anything, and I mean anything, a babysitter, a shoulder to cry on, a demon consult, call me. That goes for all of you."

The sisters all nodded, and Phoebe couldn't help feeling bad as Sam closed the door behind him.

"Sam go?" Chris asked suddenly.

"Yeah, Sam had to go, honey," Piper said as she took her youngest son from Paige. Chris began to cry. As Piper did her best to soothe him, Phoebe couldn't help but be dissatisfied by the fact that she hadn't done anything for Dean. A part of her was still convinced that if her power had been so adamant about showing her his past, it was because he was someone that she was meant to help.

Piper put Chris down on the floor, hoping that playing with his brother would cheer him up. When it seemed like he had finally settled down, she announced that she was going to go start dinner, and left the room. Castiel walked out of the house, most likely to try and make amends with Dean before he left. Paige turned on the TV and settled in to watch the boys, leaving Phoebe to her thoughts. Just as she was starting to think that everything was getting slightly back to normal, a loud crash came from upstairs. She locked eyes with Paige, who was now sitting up at attention.

"Did you hear that?" Piper asked, coming back into the room.

The younger two sisters both nodded.

The three of them sat in silence for a moment, the only sounds in the room came from the boys and the demolition derby they were having on the floor. After a few minutes their anxiety subsided a bit, leading them to think that something had just been accidentally knocked over by the wind coming through an open window.

Piper walked toward the stairs, silence still hanging in the air, when suddenly an invisible force picked her up and threw her against a wall. Phoebe watched as her sister slid to the ground, unconscious, and let out a shrill scream as the demons began to come out of the woodwork, their black eyes gleaming, ready for a fight.

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE: Once again, thank you so much for reading! I'm so excited for the next couple of installments. I just started a new chapter from Castiel's POV, and it has been super fun to write, so stay tuned for that! PLEASE REVIEW! I love to hear what you guys are thinking!**

 **XOXO aryaunderfoot**


	4. Demons Aren't A Girl's Best Friend

4- Demons Aren't a Girl's Best Friend

Sam walked out the door of the Halliwell manor, and heaved a huge sigh. He couldn't believe Dean had been so crass with Phoebe and her sisters when they were clearly just trying to help.

"Dean, what the hell is wrong with you?" he asked.

"You are not allowed to be pissed at me right now Sam, you just aren't."

"Well, too freaking bad Dean. I'm pissed. Those girls are all powerful witches. They could help you, and here you are running away, all because one of them can actually tell what's going on inside your head."

"We'll find another way Sam."

"Dean, there is no other way! We've tried everything: talking to the dead, busting Metatron out of prison, working with Crowley, talking to Cain himself—what else can we do? This might be our last hope, and I swear Dean, I will work with witches before I will let you go black eyed again."

"I told you already, that isn't going to happen."

"You don't know that, Dean," Sam said, pausing for a moment. "I've seen you, you know. You're not okay. You tell me that you are every time I ask, but I see you flex your arm when you get angry. I see you jump when you look in the mirror, like you're seeing something that isn't there. I hear you screaming _every single night_ in your sleep. Be honest with me Dean… no, screw that, be honest with _yourself_. You need help, and the Halliwells might be your last chance to get it."

"I can't look her in the eyes."

"Who?"

"The psychic one."

"Phoebe?"

"At first, she was kind of fascinating, you know. I mean, a girl that hot, looking at me like she knows all my dirty little secrets, it's a turn on. But, she knows things that I don't want to know Sam. She remembers things that I am doing my best to forget."

"Can you even hear yourself right now, Dean? Do you know how ridiculous that sounds? When are you going to stop pushing everything down inside yourself and start dealing with your crap?"

"Sam, don't lecture me please. We have a long walk back to the car, and I don't think I can handle much more."

Sam took a deep breath in. Frankly he didn't have much more to say. In fact, it had all pretty much been said. So, luckily at that moment Castiel came out of the manor, jogged down the stairs, and began to give Dean a piece of _his_ mind.

"Dean, you are my friend, so I need to give you one more chance to stay here while you still can. These witches, The Charmed Ones, they can help you. I know it."

"Aw, Cas, not you too."

"It is a mistake to leave. That is all I will tell you."

"Yeah, well then call me the King of Mistakes, because I'm not staying here!"

Sam shot Castiel a knowing frown and began to follow Dean down the sidewalk, but was immediately halted by the echoing sound of a scream coming from Halliwell Manor. Dean turned, locking eyes with Sam. Without a hint of hesitation the two brothers sprinted back to the house, scrambling for whatever weapons they had thought to bring with them which, in this case, consisted of a shotgun hidden in the waistband of Dean's pants, the seraph blade that Castiel had taken from Dean earlier, and a pouch of rock salt Sam had thought to put in his pocket before they left Kansas.

"What are you going to do with that amount of rock salt?" Dean asked. "Are we lining the entrances of a gingerbread house?"

"Shut up," Sam said, entering the house. Scanning the room he noticed a body, lying unconscious on the floor. _Piper_. Castiel ran to her.

"Is she alright, Cas?" Dean asked.

"She is hurt severely, and I'm afraid I must use some of the strength left in my borrowed grace to heal her. She is too much of a player for the forces of good in this world. She must not die. Go find the other sisters, this will take me some time."

"Be careful," Sam implored his friend before following Dean up the stairs. They walked gingerly, not knowing what they might be dealing with, until they heard the sound of several screams coming from the attic. This prompted both Winchesters to spring into action. As they entered the attic, Sam was surprised to see Phoebe and Paige, each of them holding on tightly to one of their nephews, pinned up against a wall, being protected by some kind of blue force field, and, most surprising of all, surrounded by ten to fifteen black eyed demons.

"Are those…" Sam trailed off.

"Apparently, that son of a bitch Crowley isn't good for his word. What a shame, I really thought we really had something," Dean replied, turning the attention of the demons away from the Halliwells. "See, he told us he wasn't going to let any more of you bastards out of the basement. Yet, here you are. So what gives?"

"Do you really think we still take orders from that sad sack, Crowley?" a blonde demon-woman snickered.

"Considering the last time you all organized an uprising, he roasted most of you and then imprisoned you in hell for life, I would have to say you'd be pretty dumb to try again. But hey, perseverance is key," Dean said, winking and leaning over to Sam. "Please tell me you grabbed that seraph blade from Cas on the way up?"

Sam looked down at his feet, indicating to Dean that he had not, in fact, remembered said knife.

"Alright then, I guess we're doing this old school. Do you remember the thing?"

Sam nodded.

"I'll distract, you chant."

Dean pulled out his gun and began to shoot at the demons, the pain of each bullet coursing through their bodies, though they continued to live on afterward. Sam began to chant the only exorcism ritual he could remember. It had been a long time.

"Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus,"—immediately the demons began to moan—"omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversarii—"

Sam was cut off as an invisible force pushed him backward into a wall and held him in place, a feeling that was all too familiar to him. He tried to continue on with the ritual, but his airway was blocked and instead he began to choke. The youngest Winchester watched as Dean fought his way through the hoard of demons, trying to remember the next part of the chant as he landed a punch square in the blonde she-demon's jaw.

All Dean could get out was, "Omnis congegatio," before one of the demons threw him up against the wall as well. Sam saw blood begin to run down the wall from behind Dean's head, and he tried to call out to his brother, but it was no use. Just when Sam was thinking that this was how the two of them were going to go out, he felt an unfamiliar pull at his bellybutton. In a flash he was no longer up against the wall, instead he was behind the force field that one of the Halliwells was creating. He had been orbed.

"Quick!" Paige yelled. "How do we get rid of them? Wyatt can only maintain this force field for so long!"

Sam, realizing that these demon's powers were non-effective on anyone behind said force field, scrambled to remember where Dean had left off and then continued with the exorcism, "Et secta diabolica. Ergo, draco maledicte. Ecclesiam tuam secur tibi facias libertate servire, te rogamus, audi nos."

With the utterance of those last few words the demons stopped writhing in pain, and instead dropped to their knees as black smoke cascaded from their mouths and returned back down to hell, where they had undoubtedly come from. Their powers being exorcized along with them, caused Dean to slump to the ground, barely breathing. As the force field dissipated, Sam ran to him and collapsed at his side.

"Dean!" Sam yelled, taking his brother's head into his lap.

He was barely breathing. There was a large gash on his head, presumably from where it had hit the wall, and he had lost a lot of blood. If he didn't get some help soon, he wasn't going to live, and Sam knew that there was only one way he could come back if that happened. Unfortunately it involved Dean getting his own pair of black eyes.

"Can you heal him?" Sam asked.

Paige shook her head.

"But you're whitelighters!" Sam exclaimed, completely distraught.

Paige took her nephews' hands in hers, "We're only half whitelighters, and none of us have developed that power."

"LEO!" Phoebe yelled, kneeling down next to Sam and taking Dean's hand. "Come on, Dean, stay with us. LEO!"

A bright light shone down from the ceiling, and out of it walked a tall man with dark hair, dressed in a white robe.

"Phoebe, what's going on? Where's Piper?" the man asked.

"Leo, there's no time to explain, this man needs to be healed. Please."

Without question Leo knelt down next to Dean and placed his hands over the wound site. Golden light shone out of his hands, but if it was meant to heal Dean, it failed.

"Phoebe, I can't."  
"Why not?" Sam exclaimed.

"There is a great evil about this man. He is no innocent."

"It's not him! It's the stupid mark on his arm!" Sam blubbered, tears beginning to run down his face. "He's not evil, but if you don't heal him he will be. Phoebe, tell him. Please."

She nodded, "Leo, this man isn't evil. Troubled, stubborn, angry, hopeless, yes. But, he is not evil. Not yet. I vouch for him."

"You realize that by vouching for him, and allowing him to survive, the elders will hold you completely responsible for anything he does that jeopardizes the state of good in this world. You could be stripped of your powers."

"I understand," she replied, with no hesitation.

Leo nodded, and placed his hands back over Dean's head. This time, Sam was amazed to see the gash on Dean's head close, the bleeding stop, and the color return to his brother's face.

"Dean?"

"Sammy?" the oldest Winchester mumbled back. "I'm gonna get that bitch, Crowley."

Sam smiled and exhaled a sigh of relief, "Me too, man. We'll get him together."

"Phoebe," Leo said, his attention turning to the bodies strewn about the attic floor, "What is going on? Where's Piper?"

"She's downstairs," Sam replied. "Our friend is with her, healing her. She got hurt pretty bad."

"You don't look so good yourself, sweetie," Paige said, bending down to look at Sam's forehead, which he realized for the first time was cut and bleeding. He gladly accepted a wash cloth from the youngest Halliwell, who was showing him the caring nature of her whitelighter side for the first time. Sam couldn't help but think that he could get used to her taking care of him, if he really wanted to.

"And, as for what's going on, I think the only people qualified to answer that question, are these two," Phoebe said, nodding toward the Winchesters.

"They were possessed," Dean grunted, doing his best to sit up.

"Easy," Phoebe warned, helping Sam prop him up. "I've been healed before too. It's a quick process, but it leaves you a little… nauseous."

Dean nodded, "Thank you, by the way for keeping me breathing. I appreciate it."

"Of course," Leo said. "Phoebe was willing to vouch for you, and I would never question her judgement. You say these people were possessed?"

"Yeah, by demons. You might want to check to see if you can heal any of the vessels. There are real people in there that might be able to give us information on what those douchebags wanted. I'm Dean Winchester, by the way, and this is my brother Sam."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Leo Wyatt, the girls' whitelighter, and Piper's husband," he replied and quickly turned to begin checking each body for a pulse. After he had checked all but one, it was clear he had given up hope, but in a last ditch effort he put his fingers to the blonde girl's neck.

"She has a pulse," Leo exclaimed, kneeling down next to the woman in order to heal her. "Her injuries are extensive. This might take a few minutes."

"How did you get rid of the demons?" Paige asked Sam. "It sounded like a spell."

"It kind of is," he replied. "It was an exorcism."

"And that did what exactly?"

"It sent them back to hell."

"So this is what you guys do?" Phoebe asked. "You trek around the country exorcizing demons?"

"It used to be the main thing we did," Dean told her, "But, we haven't seen a possession case in… at least a year, maybe closer to two. We were sort of promised by the King of Hell, that we wouldn't have to deal with them anymore. Until now, he'd been living up to his word."

"King of Hell?" Paige asked.

"His name is Crowley, and we are about to give him a call, aren't we Sam?"

"Hang on, you're on a first name basis with the King of Hell?" Phoebe asked.

"It's a long story, sweetheart."

"Don't call me sweetheart," Phoebe snapped.

"Anyway," Sam interjected, attempting to keep the peace, since it was clear Dean was getting his bad attitude back along with his strength, "I think we should wait on that call to Crowley. The girl said she wasn't working for him. Let's find out what she can remember, and then figure out where to go from there."

"She's healed," Leo said, "But she's unconscious for now. Her body has been put through a lot of trauma today."

"Thank you Leo," Phoebe said. "Now go check on Piper. I know you're dying to."

Leo nodded and left the room followed quickly by Wyatt. Chris however, stayed behind. He walked up to Sam and put his tiny hand on Sam's not-so-tiny cheek, as if he was making sure Sam really was okay. After a few moments, Chris smiled, clearly satisfied with the results of whatever test he had been conducting, and then toddled out the door after his father and brother. Sam sat there, stunned into silence by the peculiarity of the whole thing.

"I didn't orb you away, you know. I probably could have, but I was scared out of my mind," Paige said. "Chris is the one who saved you."

"I'm not sure what I did to deserve his trust," Sam replied.

"Neither are we," Phoebe shook her head. "He has never taken to anyone so quickly."

"Maybe he thought it was his turn to save you," Dean said, surprising them all. "You brought him back to his family, almost single-handedly. I just drove the car."

Sam nodded, not sure what else to say, and then began to really take in his surroundings. The vessels that the demons had been using had made a real mess of the place. There was broken glass and what looked like ingredients for potions scattered everywhere, and boxes that had been stacked in the attic for storage were overturned, many of them broken. Not to mention, there were eleven bodies piled up, and Sam didn't even know what to begin to do with them.

"Leo will take care of them," Paige said, reading the look on Sam's face. "Most of the demons we deal with have their own corporeal forms and just disappear when we vanquish them, but in the rare case they don't, he orbs them up to the elders. They'll return the bodies to their families."

"That's good to hear," Sam smiled at her, very aware of her proximity to him in that moment. Attempting to keep his cool, he turned back to Dean, "Are you good? Can I go check on the vessel?"

Dean nodded, "But you should probably stop calling her a vessel now, and also get her out of the pile of bodies. If she wakes up laying there we're going to have to get Sabrina and her Teenage Witches to wipe her memories for sure. No one could recover from an experience like that without a ton of therapy."

Phoebe and Paige rolled their eyes, but didn't say anything.

"Is there a place she can rest until she comes to?" Sam asked the sisters.

"You can put her in my room," Paige said. "Follow me."

Sam went over and lifted the blonde girl off of the floor, wedding style. He studied her face for a moment, perfectly still and white as a sheet. If Sam couldn't feel her ribcage expanding and contracting in his hand, he would have thought she was dead. Careful not to hit her head on the doorframe, Sam followed Paige out of the attic and down the stairs to one of the bedrooms. It was decorated almost psychedelically, the style and colors straight out of the seventies, though the clothing strewn around the room suggested that Paige really was a twenty-first century girl at heart. Sam did his best not to chuckle as she darted around the room attempting to clean up the mess.

"It's okay Paige. Trust me, Dean and I aren't exactly what I would call neat either. The only difference is instead of clothes and magazines, it's beer bottles, fast food bags, and books on supernatural lore."

"I'm usually not this messy," she explained, pulling back the green and purple, paisley blanket on her bed. "It's just with Chris going missing, and Piper being such a maternally charged mess lately, real live person Paige has kind of been put on hold so that she can be badass witch Paige, and best little sister ever Paige."

Sam smiled, placing the girl down and covering her up, "I know how that is. When your siblings need help it's sometimes hard to remember you need to take time for you too."

"Is it just you and Dean?"

"We had a younger brother, a half-brother, Adam. We didn't know him that well. He's gone now."

"I'm sorry. How did he die?"

"He didn't die exactly… It's a long story."

Paige nodded, "Well, I kind of hope you stick around here long enough to tell it to me."

Sam looked at the ground, aware that he was blushing, "I kind of hope so too… But, what about you? Piper said there used to be four of you."

"Prue was our oldest sister. I never knew her, actually. In fact, I never even knew I had sisters until a few years ago. We all share a mother, but she put me up for adoption since my father was a whitelighter. Didn't want everyone finding out since it was so forbidden for whitelighters and witches to be together back then. After Prue died, I got her powers which kept the Power of Three that the Charmed Ones possess, alive."

"Sounds like it all came as quite a shock to you."

Paige sat down at the foot of her bed, "Yeah, it was. But, so much time has passed, I can hardly remember a time when I wasn't a witch. Were you ever not a hunter?"

"We were pretty much raised in the life. Our mother was killed by a demon when I was a baby, and our Dad was relentless in finding it in order to exact his revenge. I've tried getting out of the business a bunch of times, even went to college once. But, the longer you hunt, the more you realize there really is no getting out."

Paige looked at Sam, her green eyes piercing into his brown ones. He recognized, in that moment, that she knew exactly what he was talking about, that this was common ground that the hunter and the Charmed One could walk on together. There was an unspoken understanding between the two of them that Sam hadn't been expecting.

Just as he was about to ask her what she was thinking, the blonde girl let out a long moan, stirring in the bed. Sam watched as she opened her eyes. They were a striking shade of blue, a nice change from their former blackness. Suddenly, as she registered her surroundings, she began to scream and thrash around.

Paige reacted immediately, her whitelighter side taking over. She slid further up the bed, and grabbed the girl's shoulders. In a soothing, but forceful tone she told the girl that she was safe, and that it was important that she took a few deep breaths.

As the girl began to calm down, Paige introduced herself, "I'm Paige Matthews, and this is Sam Winchester. We are here to help you, I promise. Can you tell us your name, sweetie?"

The girl studied Paige's face for a moment, "Leila."

"Okay Leila, do you know where you are?"

The girl shook her head.

"Do you remember how you got here?" Sam asked her.

She shook her head again, tears beginning to fall down her cheeks, "What's going on? I want to go home."

"Leila, listen to me," Paige said, grabbing the distraught girl's hand. "You really need to calm down, and focus for us. The sooner you do that, the sooner you can go home and forget any of this ever happened, okay?"

Leila nodded her head.

"Okay, Sam is going to fill you in on how you got here, and if you remember anything at all, if anything he says triggers a memory, I need you to tell me. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

Sam looked at Paige, in awe of her ability to calm this frightened girl. Clearly, she had had some practice, but that didn't make it any less impressive. As he pulled Paige's desk chair over and sat down, he couldn't help thinking that this woman had bewitched him, and then couldn't help kicking himself for such an ironic thought.

* * *

Phoebe watched as Sam and Paige left the room, not sure if she was nervous that they were leaving, or happy to get another crack at Dean.

"Can you stand?" she asked him.

He nodded, and Phoebe threw his arm around her shoulders to help him to his feet. But, before getting even halfway to upright, Dean's knees buckled and all of his body weight ended up on Phoebe.

"Whoa, okay, easy there," Phoebe exclaimed as she did her best to lower Dean back to the ground. "Just take a minute, no hurry."

He looked at her like he wanted to tell her something, but instead he just nodded and looked away. In a way his expression reminded Phoebe of a caged animal looking for an escape route.

"Do I make you nervous?" she asked.

"Not really," he said flatly. "You seem harmless enough."

Silence ensued.

"Okay…" Phoebe trailed off after a few uncomfortable seconds had passed.

"It's the things you know," Dean said quietly, "That freak me out."

"The things I saw in my vision you mean?"

Dean nodded.

"Like I said, certain parts of it were happy, and who knows, maybe with a little explanation the not so happy parts could make more sense to me. I just want to help you, Dean. That's what my gift is for, helping me protect innocents."

Dean snorted, "Innocents? Hate to break it to you sweetheart, but your _gift_ is broken, because the last thing in the whole world that I am, is innocent."

"I really wish you wouldn't call me that. And anyway, the Power of Three has never been wrong before. I trust it more than I would trust my own sisters."

"Yeah well, that's your problem, not mine."

"Who was that girl, Dean? The blonde."

Phoebe watched as Dean's entire body tensed up, his jaw flexed, and he balled his hands up into fists.

"Why do you want to know?"

"I feel so much negativity in you now. I just want to know that there have been times that you were happy, or just not so… hostile." Even more than that, Phoebe wanted Dean to trust her. She wanted to help him, but she didn't want to appear too eager. It was clear that while Dean was brave in the face of monsters and general danger, he could be very easily spooked by his own feelings.

"Oh there were times, believe me. But, it's been a while."

"Why is that?"

Dean flexed his right arm, "Look, you weren't entirely off about this mark thing. But you can't help me. No one can, we've tried."

"Maybe if you told me what it was or what you've tried, we could come up with someth—"

"No, Phoebe. Thank you, but no," he said, pulling himself up into a standing position by using the wall. "There is really nothing left for me, alright. I've had my share of good times, but that's done now. I have to live with this thing on my arm. I have to live with the rage, the lust I feel for creating pain, the guilt when I can do nothing to stop myself from giving in to its influence."

"You can't actually believe that. There is a way, Dean. There's always a way."

"You sound like Sam," he said, walking away from Phoebe who was still sitting on the floor.

"Well, Sam is right dammit! Honestly, I'm starting to wonder why you don't listen to him more often. Clearly, he got all of the brains in the family," Phoebe shouted, and was surprised when Dean didn't yell back at her. Instead, a smile crept across his face. It was the first smile of Dean's that Phoebe had ever witnessed. It was so strange and beautiful she felt like pulling out a camera to capture it for posterity.

"Why are you smiling?"

He shook his head, "You sound like her, just a little bit."

"Who?"

"The blonde girl you can't stop asking me about. Jo. Her name was Jo Harvelle."

"Who was she?"

"A hunter, born into it like Sam and me."

"She hunted with you?"

"Sometimes, when we would let her. She used to hate when her mom made us leave her at home. She hated being treated like she was fragile or something, especially since she was anything but…" Dean trailed off, and his eyes glazed over as he lost himself in thought, the ghost of a smile on his face.

"Did you love her?"

Dean nodded, but didn't say anything else. She saw the glisten of tears in his eyes and knew then that he truly had felt love in his life before. But, like Phoebe's, it had been ripped away from him.

"What happened to her?"

Dean looked down, like he wasn't sure he could continue talking about it.

"Hell Hounds," he answered finally. "They ripped a huge hole in her stomach. She knew she wasn't going to make it out, so she offered to sacrifice herself to create a distraction in order for Sam and me to make it out of there alive... She blew up the building we were hiding in… from the inside."

"Oh god."

"So now you get why I don't want to talk about it. Why I can't talk about any of it. My life, thus far, has consisted purely of shitty relationships, cheating death, cheap beer and hunting monsters. I'm not some case you can solve, or a lost soul you can help. I'm screwed up, and unfortunately there is absolutely no changing that."

There were so many things Phoebe wanted to say to him in that moment. She wanted to tell him that maybe a life of hunting monsters wasn't a very good one, and that he should really quit, before it killed him. She wanted to tell him about Cole, about her own great love that had torn her to pieces over and over. She wanted to tell him that she and her sisters could help him if he would just let them, and that there wasn't a single task the Power of Three wasn't up for. All of these things bounced around in her head, ready to be blurted out at any second. But, before she had the chance to say anything, the two of them heard a shout from downstairs.

"Sam! Dean! Come quick," Leo called. "It's Castiel!"

All of a sudden it was as if Dean hadn't been nearly dead a few minutes ago. In a split second he was no longer in the room, and Phoebe was hurrying out after him. When the two of them entered the family room neither one were sure what they were looking at. Piper was laying on the couch with a look of confusion on her face probably due to the fact that Castiel was lying face down in her lap. Leo had his hands over Castiel's head, doing what he could to heal him.

Sam came bounding down the stairs after them, "What's going on?"

"He just kind of collapsed. He was healing Piper and talking to me, and then he was unconscious."

"His grace…" Sam trailed off, turning his attention to Chris who had just toddled away from his brother, and was now asking to be picked up, clearly rattled by the entire situation.

"Can you heal him?" Dean asked Leo without even looking at Sam.

Leo scowled, "I'm doing my best. There's something unusual about his injury. What did you say Sam?"

"He… he doesn't have his own grace. It was stolen from him, and hidden. To save his life a friend gave him another one. But, it isn't as strong as his own."

"He's been sick for a while…" Dean said.

Leo nodded, "That makes a lot of sense. Unfortunately I'm not going to be able to heal him then."

"Jesus, a lot of good you whitelighters are," Dean complained going over to the couch to pick Cas up and place him on the loveseat. Phoebe was surprised by the amount of strength he exhibited, and then chalked it up to adrenaline.

"I can't heal what is essentially his soul. If the wound was physical, I could help, but this is more complicated than that," Leo explained, clearly getting defensive.

Dean ignored him, instead crouching down in front of Cas to see if the angel was going to make it.

"He's breathing, but he might be out for a while. Do you remember last time?" Dean asked Sam.

"He killed a few demons that were after Dean and me with his divine powers. It took him out for almost a week," Sam explained to the sisters and their whitelighter.

"We should get him back to the bunker," Dean said, lifting Cas from the seat. "A little help Sammy?"

"Dean, wait a minute," Phoebe said. "We need your help."

"What are you talking about?"

"What if those black-eyed crazies come back? We have no way to get rid of them without killing all of their vessels too, some of whom have been people we know personally."

"Sam, write down the exorcism, and let's go."

"Dean," Sam cautioned, "Think about this for a minute. We should stay. What would have happened if we had left before? The sisters would have been completely defenseless, they could have been killed! We need to figure out what is going on here, and we need to prepare these women for the things they are about to encounter."

"And what are we supposed to do with Sleepy the Dwarf over here?" Dean asked, referring to Castiel.

"Put him in my room," Phoebe said. "I'll share with Piper for a while. He can recuperate here since he wanted to stay anyway, and then you two can keep an eye on him while you help us figure out why these black-eyed demons are after my nephew."

Dean looked uncomfortable, but Phoebe could tell as he looked at Sam, who she knew had some kind of innate love for Chris, that he was caving. She wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing to keep him around, but there was part of her that was just dying to know his story, and to understand how a person who dedicates their life to helping people, could come to hate them so much. She wanted to know what the mark on his arm was all about, and why it seemed to keep him so enraged. There was a lot to the person that was Dean Winchester, and Phoebe wanted to be the one to get to the bottom of who he was, and eventually help him overcome his struggle.

"Sam, help me get him upstairs. He's little, but he's no Tinker Belle."

Sam nodded.

"Also, Leo, the girl who was possessed, she's awake. Her name is Leila, and Paige is with her now, but she's very confused and I think she could use all of the calming, whitelighter energy she can get right now."

Leo nodded and kissed Piper on the forehead before handing Wyatt off to her and heading up the stairs.

"Has anything come back to her yet?" Piper asked.

"No," Sam replied. "Do you want to go? I'll help you up the stairs if you want."

"I don't want to overwhelm her. I'm sure the two of them being there is enough for now, but I would like to lay down in my own bed if you want to help me get there. Phoebe, Dean, do you mind watching the boys for a few minutes? Then maybe Leo can help Sam bring Castiel upstairs. You've been through a lot today Dean, no need to strain yourself."

"No worries, Piper. We'll keep an eye on the boys," Phoebe replied, and Dean nodded in agreement.

"Okay," Piper nodded. "I really hope you boys decide to stay. We have plenty of room in the house for you, I promise it wouldn't be an inconvenience."

"We'll think about it," Dean said, shutting down any room Sam might have had for negotiation.

Chris threw a bit of a fit when Sam handed him over to Phoebe, but eventually she calmed him enough to let Sam get Piper up the stairs and himself out of Chris's line of sight.

"What is it about that brother of yours?" Phoebe wondered out loud.

"I'm not sure. To be honest, I'm usually the one that handles kids well. But, your little Jedi nephews do not like this mark," Dean admitted rolling up his sleeve so Phoebe could see it. It wasn't all that scary, it looked like a red tattoo. But, she had seen it glow. She had seen what it could do to Dean, and knew that it was so much more than that.

Phoebe swallowed, trying to remain calm, and got down on the floor, attempting to distract Wyatt and Chris with their toy cars. Eventually she just gave up and turned on the TV for them. They might be all powerful witches, but when the Teletubbies were on, they were just like any other three or five-year-old kids, completely zoned out.

She sat down on the couch next to Dean, wishing that she knew what he was thinking. Reaching out to him with her powers was useless now. The iron walls were back up. He was on the defense once again.

"Why did you vouch for me?" he asked suddenly.

"What?" Phoebe asked, not because she hadn't heard him, more because she was surprised he had started any form of conversation with her.

"Before, Leo said you vouched for me, and that's why he healed me. Why did you do that? You barely know me."

Phoebe sighed, "You know how I remind you of Jo?"

Dean nodded, and looked away uncomfortably.

"You remind me of someone too," Phoebe said, changing her tone, getting in his face to make him look back at her. "I couldn't save him, he was too far gone. That doesn't mean there wasn't good in him once, or a chance that he couldn't be saved before he hit the point of no return."

"So you saved my life to steel your own guilt," Dean said, as a statement more than as a question.

Phoebe scoffed, "No Dean, God, why do you have to be so cynical about everything? I saved your life because I believe in you. I believe that between you and your family, and me and mine, that you can overcome whatever it is you're dealing with."

Dean looked at her, and for a split second Phoebe was sure he was going to open up to her, tell her everything she wanted to know, and beg her for her help. But then the moment passed, he looked away, and the two of them went back to sitting in silence.

 **Author's Note:**

 **I know it has been a while since I updated! I've been having a really hard time with the chapter I am working on, and the direction of the story. But, hopefully that will change soon! In the meantime here you go! PLEASE REVIEW. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the demon attack, and Dean and Phoebe's relationship. They are slowly becoming my favorite to write! There's just so much drama!**

 **Thank you so much for reading!**

 **xoxo AryaUnderfoot**


	5. Dude, Who Trashed My Car?

**Author's Note: I'm sorry it has been so long since posting! College life can be insane! Anyway, before you start reading this one, I just wanted to say that I have taken some liberties in this chapter, especially with the introduction... or reintroduction, of one, specific character. There is a reason for bringing this one back, and I hope it doesn't upset any of you too much! Happy reading!**

5- Dude, Who Trashed My Car?

Paige sat on the edge of her own bed, doing her best to keep Leila calm, but coherent. The girl was mostly composed, but there were still all of the underlying memories of being possessed by a demon for her to get past, and Paige knew that that wouldn't be an easy thing. It had been almost a day since the incident in the attic, and Leila was just beginning to grasp the concept of the supernatural world.

"So… your friend, Sam, he said I was possessed?"

"Yes."

"By demons?"

"You asked me this already, Leila. Are you starting to remember something?" Paige asked.

"No, I just… this is all so insane, demons, witches, magic. Are you sure I'm not being Punk'd?"

"Unfortunately I'm very sure."

Leila nodded, and was silent for a few moments.

"There is something, I don't think it's the information you're looking for, but I remember this… feeling. It was like I was looking through my own eyes, but I wasn't. Honestly it was more like catching a glimpse of someone else looking through my eyes. Does that sound insane?"

"No," Paige said, doing her best to be supportive.

Leila sighed, "I'm not sure if I'm happy about that, or not. God I wish I was being Punk'd. Ashton Kutcher is really cute."

"You just have to focus on those glimpses, Leila. Think about the demon, about Chris, why would these things want him? What is his purpose?"

The door to Paige's room opened and Piper walked in, most of her weight being supported by Leo. She was still weak after being healed the day before. Castiel had done a good job, at the expense of his own health, and she seemed to be much more alert than yesterday. Paige took that as a good sign.

Sam came in after them, his long hair still wet from the shower he had taken that morning. The Winchesters had finally given in and decided to stay in the manor for the night. Sam had slept on the floor in Chris and Wyatt's room at Piper and Leo's request, and Dean had crashed in Phoebe's room in order to keep an eye on Castiel. Paige herself was feeling a little sore from sleeping on the day bed in her room, but it had been necessary to keep a watchful eye on Leila in case she was frightened in the night and tried to bolt. But, the amount of people staying in the house, and all of the drama they had been bringing with them, was enough to exhaust anyone. Paige just hoped that it wouldn't show too much.

"Piper, how are you?" she asked her eldest sister.

"I'm okay, honey," she said. "I'm still just a little bit dizzy."

Paige nodded, "Piper, this is Leila. Leila, this is my oldest sister, Piper. She's Chris's mother."

"I am so sorry—" Leila began.

"Don't be, sweetheart," Piper interrupted, giving her a smile. "You weren't in control of your own actions, it isn't your fault. I actually came up here to see if you need anything, food, water, clothes, do you need to call someone? I'm sure it was a long restless night for you."

"I would love to call my roommate, just to let her know I'm okay. I'm not even completely sure how long I've been gone… and besides that, it might be nice to hear a friendly voice."

"Of course you can call her. Leo, would you go get the phone?" she asked, and then turned her attention back to the girl. "But, you do realize that you'll have to explain where you've been, and you can't tell her the truth."

"What, you mean 'sorry you haven't heard from me, I've been busy getting possessed by demons, and trying to kidnap a small child whose family happens to be made up of witches' won't cut it?"

Sam laughed, and Paige felt a stab of jealousy course through her. She shook it off.

"Just tell her," she advised, "That you needed some time for yourself, that you haven't been keeping track of time, and that you're sorry for worrying her. That should do the trick."

Leila nodded, and Leo reentered the room.

"While you're on the phone, I'm going to go and make you some dinner. What do you like?" Piper asked.

"At this point, I'll take anything. I don't think demons eat."

"They don't," Sam informed her. "Technically they aren't living. They're just inhabiting your body, so they don't need food."

"Piper," Leo cautioned, "Maybe you should rest. Paige can cook."

"Yeah, if you want rubbery chicken and the house burned down!"

"I started a fire _one_ time," Paige protested.

Piper laughed, "I'll be fine, Leo. Make your phone call, honey. I'll bring you up a plate when the food's done."

"Thank you so much," Leila replied, dialing the phone. Piper and Leo turned to leave but were halted momentarily by Dean coming through the door. Leila had begun talking to her roommate, but the minute she laid eyes on the older Winchester, it was as if a switch had been flipped in her head. Immediately she stopped talking, her breathing sped up, and her gaze, though it was trained on Dean, seemed to be in another place.

"Leila?" Paige asked, and she could hear the girl's roommate speaking in concerned tones on the other end of the line.

"I gotta go, Kara," Leila said in a voice that was bordering on monotone, and then hung up.

"Am I interrupting something?" Dean asked.

"We were just leaving," Piper replied. "Do you need something?"  
"Uh, yeah. Chris won't stop asking for Sam. I was going to see if he wasn't too busy…" Dean trailed off when he caught Leila staring at him. Paige was grateful he had only just noticed then, because the girl hadn't blinked once since he walked into the room.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

"You're Dean, right?"

"So what if I am?"

"I remember…"

"What do you remember, Leila?" Sam asked, sitting down next to the entranced girl.

"It's just pieces, but I've seen you before. Through her eyes. You're dangerous… Someone… They hate you, but they also need you."

"Dean isn't going to hurt you," Paige told her. "Right?"

Dean shook his head.

"Was it Crowley?" he asked her, his voice rising in anger. "Did he send those black-eyed freaks?"

Leila winced.

"Dean, could you maybe be a little less… Dean, please," Paige said. "She's had a rough few days."

"Sorry. Maybe you should take this one, Sammy."

Sam nodded, "Does the name Crowley mean anything to you?"

"It does sound familiar. I don't know him, but I think she hates him too."

"Can you think of anyone who might hate this Crowley guy?" Leo asked.

Sam and Dean both laughed.

"He's the King of Hell," Dean replied, "The list is endless."

"This person, the one who hates you," she pointed to Dean, "She needs something, something besides you, something from this house."

"You mean Chris?" Piper asked.

"Yes, and then no. She needs… light."

"Light," Paige repeated, "Like she needs to borrow a lamp?"

Leila sighed, and blinked a few times, her demeanor returning to its former state, "That's all that's coming to me, just the word light. But it feels… well, it feels bigger than a lamp. Like she needs something powerful."

Paige looked around the room at all of them, and saw confused, pensive looks on every face. No one seemed to know exactly what connected these demons wanting Chris, to this unknown woman needing something to do with light.

"I have to admit that isn't much to go on," Sam said finally. "Why don't you rest up a little more? You must be pretty exhausted. Maybe something else will come to you in a little while."

"I'll go start on that dinner. I'm sure getting some food in your belly will help," Piper said, and left the room with Leo.

"I was actually thinking that if we're going to be here for a while because of Cas, that I should probably go get the Impala," Dean told his brother. "I don't want to get a ticket, and I don't like her being so far away."

"I'll go with you if you want," Paige said. "Orbing is faster than walking, or we could drive too, if you prefer that."

Dean thought about it for a moment, "I guess I could try that orbing thing again, if you don't mind."

"Not at all. Leila, are you going to be okay here alone for a little while? I'm sure my other sister, Phoebe, would be happy to come up and sit with you."

Leila shook her head, "I'll be fine. I'm hungry, but I'm also tired, so I guess I'll just work on one of those things while I wait for the other. Not to mention, my roommate probably thinks I'm the flakiest human ever now, so I might call her back and try to explain myself."

"I'm sure she'll understand," Sam said, putting a comforting hand on Leila's arm. "You're coping really well with this. It's actually really great, so don't overdo it, okay? Take care of yourself first."

Leila smiled, "Thank you all for being so nice to me. This family is really wonderful. You're all really lucky to have found one another."

"Oh, we aren't—I mean—" Paige stammered.

"A very wise man once told me that family doesn't begin or end with blood," Sam said quietly, looking at his brother who nodded solemnly in agreement.

"That being said, we all just met each other yesterday, believe it or not," Paige told the girl.

"Really? So you two aren't..." Leila trailed off, her eyes flicking back and forth between Paige and Sam.

Sam blushed, and Paige was sure it was the cutest thing she'd ever seen. "No we don't know each other quite that well Leila," he replied, and then stammered some excuse about going downstairs to find Chris.

Paige watched Sam go and then looked at Dean. In that moment, she was unable to imagine that they had ever been close to anyone besides each other. But then, there had been this overwhelming urge to trust them at the back of her mind since meeting them. It did seem like she and her sisters had been destined to meet the brothers, why else would Chris have orbed to Kansas of all places? It was almost like they were connected, meant to help one another.

But, Paige didn't say any of this.

Instead she just shrugged, "I guess almost dying together solidifies a relationship more than we thought."

After a slightly awkward silence, Dean cleared his throat and asked Paige if she was ready to go. Paige though about Sam, a small part of her not wanting to leave him alone to take care of the pretty, vulnerable blonde. Pushing the thought from her mind, she stood and took Dean's hand.

"Take a deep breath."

He did, and a few seconds later they were standing in the same park they had met each other in the day before. The sun was setting now, and Paige began to realize just how long the last two days had truly been. She was definitely ready to collapse in her bed, though that would probably be a little hard, considering there was still a recovering possession victim in it. It seemed, since Leila was still having trouble with her memory and her stamina, that Paige was destined for another night on the back-breaking daybed.

"So you and your brother are going to stay then?" Paige asked as they made their way across the deserted park.

"Seems like it," Dean replied gruffly. "Whatever is going on, Sam isn't going to let it go until he knows Chris is safe, not to mention that this all seems tied to us anyway."

"You've dealt with a lot of demon possession?"

"There were times when I saw black eyes more than I saw human ones."

"That's awful."

"That's the job," he snapped.

Paige was silent for the remainder of their walk, not wanting to irritate Dean any more than she already had with all of her questions. As they neared the other side of the park they heard a loud crash and some banging, and as Dean's car came into view they found out where the noise had come from. There were five people, eyes all black as night, surrounding the Impala. One of them, the leader, Paige supposed, was standing on the hood of the car, cackling, with a can of spray paint in one hand, and a sledge hammer in the other. The Impala's windshield had been shattered, and glass was strewn everywhere. The air had been slashed out of all four tires and the hub caps were missing. From where Paige was standing she could see slashes in the upholstery, and the radio, ripped out of the console, laying on the sidewalk next to the car's driver's side door, old cassette tapes broken and scattered around it. There were huge dents in the roof and the doors that remained on their hinges. In short, it was totaled without even having moved.

The most troubling part of it all, for Paige at least, were the markings that the leader had sprayed onto the car in a shade of red so rich, it looked like blood. She was sure they were Wiccan, even more sure that she had seen them somewhere before, but where?

"Hey bitch!" Dean yelled suddenly. Paige looked over at him, and there was a fiery rage burning in his eyes. His fists were balled up and at his side, his jaw clenched. She had seen him like this before, only a day ago, when he had brandished a knife in the manor, intent on killing her and her sisters. This time Cas and Sam were not here to control him. What could Paige do to stop him? The even better question being, should she stop him at all?

The she-demon standing on the hood of the car jerked her head around to face Dean. She was young, maybe twenty, but beautiful, almost exotic looking, with long dark hair, and smooth skin the color of wet sand. When she blinked, her black eyes disappeared, turning a dark shade of brown, making it very hard for Paige to see much more than a girl. But then, the menacing look in her eyes, the one that made it clear that she was reveling in the destruction around her, made it completely obvious that what Paige and Dean were dealing with, was pure evil.

The girl smiled at Dean, almost like she knew him, and jumped down from the hood of the car, her black combat boots making a heavy thud on the concrete. She walked over to the two of them, her denim clad hips swaying, and Paige took a few steps back. Dean, however, didn't move an inch.

"Hiya Dean," she said once she was in clear speaking distance of the two of them.

"What the hell did you do to my car, you black-eyed skank?" Dean growled.

The demon clicked her tongue disapprovingly, "Is that any way to address such an old friend? We were just giving your Baby a little, well-deserved makeover. No need to get so hostile."

"I have no idea who the hell you are, or who you work for, but one thing I do know is that I'm about to split you from hair to navel for what you've done to her."

All of the alarms went off in Paige's mind. How did Dean know this demon? Why did he know any demons at all? Could he have possibly been friends with this one in the past? Most importantly was he about to go all psycho-murderer in the middle of a public park? She was getting ready to orb herself out of the place, but what the demon said next stopped all of her other thoughts.

"Oh Dean, what would Sammy say? He wouldn't want you getting all out of sorts like this, especially not toward someone he used to care about, _deeply_."

"Who the hell are you?" Dean yelled.

"I don't look that different do I? I tried to find a vessel that looked relatively similar to my last one. Wouldn't want to disappoint Sam in that department. I mean, once you drink blood from one body, it's so hard to betray that kind of a bond."

Paige watched as realization dawned on Dean's face, and as his jaw set back into its former position she could only associate with rage.

" _Ruby_ ," he spat out her name like it was poison.

"So lovely to be remembered! Though I will admit, I'm a little down that Sam isn't here to enjoy the big reunion. How is he anyway? Is he still acting like a complete child and forgoing all of his duties to the greater good?"

Dean lunged, but Paige was there to hold him back.

"Dean, you don't want to do this. You can't possibly take them all on by yourself, you'll be slaughtered, and I have no clue what I'm up against."

"How are you here?" Dean asked the she-demon, pretty much ignoring Paige. "We stabbed you with the demon dagger, you should be dead."

"Did you forget, Dean, that I am the one who gave you that dagger? Don't you think I would have taken precautions against it being used on me? I know I used to be blonde, but come on, I'm not that stupid."

"All this time you've been gone… I think it's time I make it permanent. Paige, get out of my way."

"No, Dean, let's go home and get your brother, my sisters, we can fight this together."

Dean huffed, "Maybe that's how you Halliwells do it, but we Winchesters, we don't wait, we act."

"And look where that's gotten you. You're a mess, Dean! Let us help you."

"She's pretty, I'll give her that much. But, not much of a fighter, huh? Your companions usually have so much more… _spunk_. Like… Oh, what _was_ that little minx's name that you and Sam used to hunt with back in the day? Jo? What happened to her?" Ruby said, making it obvious that she was just trying to get under Dean's skin.

Once again, Paige got in his way as Dean went into attack mode. Then she turned, "Hey bitch, I'm actually trying to save your ass from being annihilated by the carrier of the rage mark, or whatever that thing on his arm is. So you might just want to keep your opinions to yourself."

Ruby laughed, "I take it back! What a scrapper! I love it. You know she'd make one hell of a vessel."

"Over my dead body," Dean replied, in a protective tone that left Paige genuinely surprised.

"What a _great_ idea! But, we can't have that. The boss definitely specified that she wants you alive. As for the mark, that's why I need you Dean. I knew you'd come running to this car sooner or later, and that that would be my chance to nab you."

"Any particular reason you had to kick the crap out of it?"

Ruby looked like she was thinking about it and then shrugged, "That was just for fun."

Dean nodded, his eyes full of rage, "Alright then, come and get me kids. I'll be happy to put you all out of your misery."

None of the demons moved.

"Oh no Dean, my minions won't be the ones apprehending you today. I've got some much more vicious, much more invisible friends that have missed you so very much. My boss said she wanted you alive, she didn't specify how alive."

All of a sudden Paige could hear growling noises that sounded like they were coming from dogs, but there were no such animals in sight. Dean's face had gone white as a sheet, and he had finally started backing away.

"Dean, what's going on?" Paige asked. "What's making that noise?"

Dean swallowed, his voice came out as a barely audible whisper, "Hellhounds."

Ruby howled with laughter and then shouted, "Sic 'em boys!"

"Paige, orb us out! Orb us out, now!" Dean shouted, grabbing onto her hand and pulling her back in the direction they had come from. She could hear the barks and the growls growing closer to her, and before she could orb away, she felt a pair of teeth grab onto her ankle and chomp down, hard. She cried out and stumbled to the ground, scraping her arm against a tree. Luckily Dean didn't let go of Paige's hand, instead he fell to the ground with her. Through the pain she gathered all the strength she could and orbed them both back to the attic at Halliwell manor.

"Paige!" Dean shouted, turning to inspect the damage that the invisible canine had incurred.

Paige laid on the ground writhing in pain. Her leg wasn't just hurt, the bite was inflamed, and the entire limb felt like it was burning off. The pain was so overwhelming, that she was sure that this was the end. She was about to burn up into nothing but ashes, and the only one around to see her go would be Dean Winchester.

Tears streamed from her eyes, and she let out a shriek when the fiery pain began to spread. The red-hot feeling not only traveled up her leg and to her torso, but also sank deep within her, making her feel like she was burning up from the inside out. She felt a hand on her head, but she could no longer see anything but white, her vision blurred from the intensity of it all. She knew she was screaming, but she could no longer hear herself, and the smell of smoke filled her nostrils and then her lungs. She was dying, in her own personal hellfire, completely alone.

* * *

Sam heard the screams coming from the attic, and immediately he knew something had gone terribly wrong on Paige and Dean's expedition to get the Impala. Leaving Leila's side he sprinted up the stairs, Piper on his tail, Phoebe not far behind with her nephews in tow. Leo had gone back up to wherever whitelighters report to, but Sam had a feeling they might be needing him again soon.

When he entered the attic he was not prepared for what he saw. Paige was laying in the middle of the floor, seizing, clearly in too much pain to make any more sound, there was a pool of blood near her foot, and her skin was bright red and blistering, as if she had been sitting out for days in the sun. But, the most alarming thing of all was Dean, who was simply sitting next to her, his head bowed and his hands folded, almost like he was waiting for her to die.

Sam stood in the doorway, stunned by his brother's actions. So stunned, he nearly forgot about the redheaded witch that was losing her life right before his eyes. But, once Piper and Phoebe entered the room, his attention snapped back to reality.

Piper was furious, "Dean, what in the hell are you doing? What is going on?"

Phoebe immediately dropped to her little sister's side, her expression pained, "She's in agony, Piper."

"Thank you, I can see that!" Piper shouted. "Leo!"

"Dean, what happened?" Sam asked, snapping his brother out of the defeated trance he had worked himself into.

"Hellhounds," Dean said quietly.

Sam swallowed, knowing exactly what that meant for Paige. Piper and Phoebe however, looked at Dean confusedly.

"What do you mean, hellhounds?" Piper asked, before yelling for Leo again.

"Once upon a time they were Lucifer's lap dogs. Now they're Crowley's own personal canine police force. Anyone who makes a deal with a demon is given ten years to enjoy that deal, then they're dragged to hell. Hellhounds are sent out to make sure they get there," Sam explained.

"It bit her, Sam," Dean said. "You know what that means."

"What?" Phoebe said, practically begging Dean or Sam to just explain.

"Tell them," his brother urged, sounding completely defeated.

Sam sighed, deciding not to sugar coat his answer, "She's burning to death from the inside out. One bite from a hellhound is fatal. Usually if they want to keep a victim alive, or drag them to hell, they use their claws. But, if they're in a hurry and they just want to get someone out of the way, they use a bite to infect that person with hellfire. I am so sorry Piper, Phoebe, but Paige will be gone in a matter of minutes."

"They were there for me, she was just collateral damage," Dean said. "This is all my fault."

"Over my dead, freaking body is she dying today!" Piper screamed, tears pouring down her cheeks. "Leo!"

"Screw Leo!" Phoebe said. She had stayed eerily calm through this entire ordeal. "Are we the Charmed Ones, or aren't we? We don't have the power of three so we're going to have to ask for help from the family. Here, take my hand."

Piper did as her sister asked, but Dean protested, "There is no saving her from this. Your witchy voodoo is not going to fix this."

"Remind me when this is all over, that we need to have a serious meeting about what we actually do for this world," Piper snapped. "You need to get it through your thick skull, Dean Winchester, that this is not voodoo, or tricks. It's magic, and it's just as badass, and saves just as many innocent people as your daggers and your exorcisms."

The two witches turned their attention back to their baby sister, and Sam watched as both sets of their eyes closed in concentration.

Then Piper began to chant, "Wiccan sisters from the great beyond, we call on thee to mend our bond. Banish now this fire of hell, save from death this Halliwell."

The sisters' hands clenched tighter as Phoebe joined in on reciting the spell, and after realizing what was happening, Wyatt and Chris placed their small hands on those of the grown witches, concentrating their powers on their aunt. The two sisters repeated the incantation over and over. As a breeze swept through the room, Sam felt a shiver go up his spine, and he knew that their call for aid had been answered. They were not alone in this room. The power of their spell was awe-inspiring. Sam watched in disbelief as Paige stopped shaking, her breathing normalized and her porcelain-like skin returned to its normal, pale shade. They had saved her. He realized this was the first time he had ever really witnessed the power of the Charmed Ones at work. If this is what two of them could do, he couldn't even imagine what the Power of Three was capable of.

Piper lifted Paige's head into her lap, the instinct she had to mother everyone immediately kicking in. Phoebe brushed her sister's orange hair back from her eyes, revealing Paige's serene face, that seconds ago, had been twisted in an incredible amount of pain.

"Sam, can you help me carry her down to my room?" Piper asked him quietly.

Before he could answer, Leo orbed into the attic. By the look on his face, Sam could tell that the whitelighter already knew something had gone terribly wrong.

"Piper, Phoebe, I'm so sorry. The other elders had me tied up in something, they wouldn't let me go—" Leo tried to explain.

"We handled it Leo," Piper snapped. "Could you just check to make sure she's all in one piece, please?"

Leo nodded, kneeling down next to Paige. His brow furrowed, "She's fine physically, but her mind is all over the place. What happened?"

The sister's both turned to Dean, who looked just as forlorn and defeated as he had when Sam had entered the room. Clearly, something else had happened while Dean and Paige were gone. The trick was going to be getting that information out of his brother. Dean hadn't ever been the sharing type, but he had become especially distant since he had been infected by the Mark of Cain.

"Uh, there were some demons waiting for us," Dean began. "Apparently, Chris is not the only one of us they're after. For some reason they need me too. They knew I'd come back to the car eventually, so they decimated it and waited. Paige was just collateral damage in their attempts to drag me to whoever the hell is running this freak show. I think they brought the hounds just to trigger some kind of PTSD in me."

"Wait, they wrecked the car?" Sam asked.

"She's pretty torn up," Dean confirmed.

"Why are they making it so personal? Hellhounds, and the car… It's like they knew exactly what would scare you, or piss you off, more than anything. Even Crowley doesn't know about that stuff."

"Pardon me, Sam," Leo interjected, "But, who cares?"

"Excuse me?" Dean asked.

"Who cares about your car? Who cares what they need you for? I'm sorry, but since you two showed up here, we have had nothing but problems."

"Before we showed up, your precious Charmed Ones had no idea what they were up against!" Dean shouted, immediately getting defensive.

"Half of this family is either wounded or unconscious because of you! Not excluding the angel that you claim is your friend!"

"He's family! And, he saved your wife's life, so I actually think a little gratitude is in order."

"I didn't forget about that. Nor did I forget the kindness your brother has shown my sons. But, I don't trust you, Dean Winchester. I asked the elders about you, and you seem to have a habit of getting the people around you killed. We are not about to be 'collateral damage', as you so eloquently put it, in your quest for self-destruction."

Dean's jaw was clenched tight, and Sam knew that Leo had hit a nerve. The two of them had lost more friends and family than they now had, and Dean blamed himself for a lot of those deaths. Their own father had sacrificed his life for Dean's, as had Ellen and Jo Harvelle, their two closest hunting companions. Most recently Bobby Singer, the closest thing the two of them had ever had to a true father, had been murdered while helping them hunt a particularly gory case. But, most of all, Dean constantly felt responsible for keeping Sam alive, and he had failed at that once or twice too.

Sam walked over and put a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder, always ready to support the one who had always supported him. "With all due respect, Leo, you don't know what it's like to live our life. You and the elders might think you do, but that isn't the same as going through it. We all have flaws, some greater than others, but our profession has always catered to the greater good. We aren't monsters. We don't kill for fun. And we certainly don't put innocent people, people we love, in danger on purpose."

Leo narrowed his eyes, "You're an honorable man, Sam, but do you honestly believe that your brother hasn't killed for sport? You would be wrong."

Feeling his cheeks heating up, Sam did his best to keep calm, "That wasn't him."

"No?" Leo asked, his tone dripping with accusations.

"Alright," Piper interjected, placing her fingers on the bridge of her nose like she was trying very hard not to explode at the two of them. "I have heard plenty, from all of you. Honestly, you're worse than Chris and Wyatt. Leo, go to the elders, tell them what happened, and see what you can find out about who could be sending out these demons. It's about time we buckled down, and got to the bottom of these freak possessions. Phoebe, you're on potion duty, we're going to need something to exorcize these demons with, and while you're at it, a memory potion for Leila wouldn't be a bad idea. Sam, you get to take care of my kids while I work on coaxing my baby sister out of this hellhound-induced coma. And Dean, call this so-called King of Hell. I have a feeling he'll have some useful information for us.

"Oh, and before you all go," Piper said, her tone oozing fake sweetness, "Once Paige wakes up, we are going to be having one hell of a serious family meeting. Somehow the lives of the Halliwells and the Winchesters have become intertwined, and if we are going to work together to get to the bottom of this mess, we are going to have to start at least trying to comprehend what it is that the others do. Without that trust, without that understanding… we can't win."

The room was silent for a few moments as Piper's words sank in.

"Go!" she yelled, and everyone sprang into action. Sam picked Paige up off of the floor and carried her down to Piper's room, hoping that her words would inspire Dean and Leo to put their differences aside for the time being. Because she was right. There had been a few close calls already, all of them occurring when the disconnect between hunter and witch had been very evident. If, in the end, their two sides couldn't come together, Sam feared there would be very little hope of survival for either one.

 **End Notes:**

 **Well now you know. It's Ruby! She's back with a vengeance, and I hope it isn't too jarring for anyone. I understand that canonically she will never come back, but she is one of my all-time favorite characters, and I think she could pose some really interesting character development for Sam and a few others. I also know that the hellhounds are a bit exaggerated for this one. I'm pretty sure I made up the thing about their bites infecting people with hellfire, but it's a fun little bit of added lore that really lent itself to my story in more than one way.**

 **All of that said, please REVIEW! I would love to hear what you think of Ruby's return, or anything else from this chapter. Baby got destroyed, Paige is down for the count, and Leo and Dean are butting heads like no other. Your suggestions and comments are so welcome, and super appreciated.**

 **Thanks for reading! xoxo AryaUnderfoot**


	6. All Is Fair In Love and Lore

**Hello my lovely readers! I am so sorry it has taken me so long to update! Besides a severe case of writer's block, dealing with the holidays this years was nuts! Thank you so much for your patience and enjoy!**

6- All Is Fair In Love and Lore

As Phoebe dropped the final ingredient into the cauldron she expected the memory potion she had been making to explode in a cloud of smoke, signifying that it was done brewing. Unfortunately, the things she expected to go as planned lately, were all being unruly, and apparently this potion was to be no exception.

"Hm," Phoebe huffed, and turned around to root through the kitchen cabinet that held all of their potion ingredients.

"Is something wrong?" Sam asked, looking up from his computer. The two Winchester brothers were hunkered over at the kitchen table doing research on light and dark magic. Sam figured that between his online research, and the information in the books that Leo had orbed Dean back to Kansas for the night before, they should be able to put two and two together and figure out why these demons were so intent on getting to Chris and Dean. It had almost been a day since Paige had been injured, and in that time, they had come up with virtually nothing. Dean was distracted, his every thought on fixing up his 'Baby' that had been towed to the Halliwell's driveway, but Phoebe could tell that Sam was getting just as frustrated with the lack of information.

"No, I just thought I had found the right mixture of ingredients, and it turns out I didn't."

"How do you know when it's right?"

Phoebe smiled at Sam's obvious attempt to be more interested in witchcraft. He really was a sweet guy, with eyes that she was sure could melt the heart of even the most sinister person. That gentleness and sensitivity paired with his towering height, strong, manly jawline, and extremely cut abdominal muscles, pretty much made Sam the ultimate catch. Too bad Phoebe wasn't smart enough to be interested in someone like Sam.

She eyed Dean across the room. His head was down, and he was doing a very good job of pretending to read the book in front of him. When she reached out to his emotions, Phoebe felt nothing but apprehension and distraction. What was he so worried about, now? And, why in the world should did it matter to her?

"Uh, when you get the right mixture of ingredients it kind of… goes _poof_ ," Phoebe answered, realizing how idiotic the words sounded just as they were coming out of her mouth.

Sam's lips twitched, "It goes poof, huh?"

"Shut up," Phoebe said, attempting to hide her smile. "You'll see what I mean in a minute, I'm just missing something."

"What are you making this for again?"

"It's a memory potion for Leila. Hopefully it will allow her to recall something from the time she was possessed."

"So, how does it work? I mean, what's in there that is going to help her remember?"

"Well, right now it's got lemon grass, which is a strong component for psychic cleansing and opening of the mind, which I am hoping will allow her to simply be open to the idea of letting these slightly unpleasant memories in at all. I also sprinkled in some lilac, to aid her spiritually, and help her with the actual process of remembering, and a bit of basil to exorcize any remnants of the demon within her. Basil is also a strong agent of protection. It dispels any kind of confusion or fear she might have surrounding the events of the past few days."

"That sounds pretty complete to me," Sam said. "And you just remember what all these roots and spices are for? That all came from your head?"

"If you made potions as often as _the Charmed Ones_ , you'd have it all memorized too…" Phoebe trailed off, getting an idea of how she might finish off the potion. Turning back to the cupboard full of ingredients, she rooted around until she found a mason jar full of dried leaves labeled "Love Leaf". She dropped a few into the potion and stirred for a moment and then, just as she had suspected it would before, the cauldron made a popping noise and a large cloud of smoke rose from the fully fledged concoction.

"What just happened?" Sam asked.

"The _poof_ ," Phoebe smirked.

Sam laughed. "So what was missing?"

"Damiana Leaf, also known as love leaf. It can be used for attracting love or lust, but it's also really great for opening the chakras to increase psychic abilities. I figured she could use as much openness to these memories as possible."

"What's that other thing in the jar, that stone?"

"It's a quartz crystal," Phoebe replied. "It helps preserve the effectiveness of the herb. And speaking of quartz, I need to whip up a quick protection spell for Paige." She grabbed a small white, velvet pouch from the cupboard and placed two quartz crystals inside, along with five leaves of oleander, using a tweezers to avoid coming into contact with the toxic plant. Then, she anointed the bag with a bit of Frankincense to finish the job, tying the bag off at the top.

"What is that thing?" Dean asked, breaking his silence.

"This? It's just something for Paige. It's for protection against pain and any other kinds of negative energy, or it will be once I enact it. She's been in a coma for almost a day. I think she's experienced enough trauma for now."

"It looks a hell of a lot like a hex bag."

"A hex what?" Phoebe asked, not sure what Dean was talking about.

"You don't know what a hex bag is?" Sam asked, sounding incredulous.

Phoebe shook her head.

"It's black magic," Dean told her. "And, it's also the way all of the witches we have ever met, have chosen to kill their victims."

"Dean," Piper said, limping into the room carrying a vase of small white flowers, "How many times do we have to tell you, we don't do dark magic? Not to mention, it's for _Paige_. We are not looking to hurt our own sister."

Dean nodded and then turned his attention back to the book of lore he had been reading beforehand. Phoebe decided she was getting a little tired of his attitude, but she didn't have the energy to fight with him today, so she turned her attention back to Piper.

"Where are the boys?" her sister inquired.

"I put them both down for naps," Sam told her. "I think they were pretty bushed after everything that's happened in the last few days. Neither one of them complained when I suggested they go upstairs and lay down."

Piper nodded, rubbing her eyes out of exhaustion as well.

"What are the flowers for, sweetie?" Phoebe asked.

"They're for Paige," Piper replied. "They're lily of the valley."

"Aren't those poisonous?" Sam asked.

"Yes, but they're also a soothing agent," Phoebe explained. "They dispel negative energy and bring peace."

"Is everything with you guys this spiritual mumbo jumbo?" Dean asked, his tone a little more irritated than it probably should have been.

"This is what we do, Dean," Piper said, her tone equally as irritated. "We are protectors of innocent people, and our duty to them includes being healers, knowing which herbs and natural remedies serve what purpose. You know, we never did have that family meeting. I think it might be about time."

"Don't you want to wait until Paige wakes up?" Phoebe asked.

"Not if we keep getting put down for being who we are! We need to come to some kind of understanding before I blow _him_ to pieces," Piper said, pointing at Dean.

"Good luck, witchy-poo," Dean snorted.

With a flick of her fingers, Piper shattered the vase of tulips that was sitting on the kitchen table, making Dean jump about a mile out of his chair.

"Did you do that?" he yelled.

Piper smirked, "I can stop time too, and I can think of a few things I would like to have mysteriously and inexplicably happen to you, Dean Winchester. So watch it."

The room was silent, and Piper seemed satisfied.  
"I do think Phoebe is right, though. We should wait for Paige," Sam said, clearing his throat. "If we're all going to be on the same wavelength when it comes to this case, then we should all be together to discuss it."

"Then I guess you'd better get to it. Sam, take this," Phoebe handed him the pouch she had made earlier. "Wake my baby sister up, would you? I miss her already. In the meantime I'll start bottling this potion for Leila, and Dean will keep doing whatever it is that he's doing."

Dean looked up at her warily, but once again said nothing. As Sam and Piper left the room, Phoebe wasn't sure how she felt about being alone with him again. It had been a few days since their last talk, but she was already so emotionally drained, she wasn't sure she could handle another one right now.

"So, did you find anything interesting yet?" she tried, hoping they could stick to small talk.

Dean sighed, "Not really. There's a million ways you can use light magic and dark magic together. Conflicting sides can do really powerful stuff if you use them the right way, and Chris and I are at two completely opposite ends of the spectrum. He's the product of purity, the son of a whitelighter and a Charmed One, not to mention a young and innocent child, while I'm the carrier of this thing."

Dean rolled up his sleeve, revealing the red mark on his forearm. Phoebe felt the hate and the rage emanating from it, and her head began to pound. The sheer evil she knew that it was, made her want to run away from it, as far as she possibly could. Instead she began to fill a few bottles with Leila's memory potion, doing what she could to tune her power out.

"So, are you ready to share what that really is?" Phoebe asked, figuring he would shoot her down. To her surprise Dean answered almost immediately.

"It's the Mark of Cain," he said quietly.

Phoebe did what she could to take his answer in stride, not wanting to frighten him back into silence. "Cain? Like in the Bible, Cain?"

"Right," he answered, "Like Cain, of Cain and Abel fame. As it turns out, he wasn't such a bad guy once upon a time. In fact, he was a lot like me, which is why I think I was probably destined to have this mark in the first place."

"What do you mean he wasn't a bad guy? He murdered his brother! You wouldn't do that, would you?"

Dean shook his head, "I mean before the murdering. He loved his brother, like I love Sam. Abel was going to be sent to hell, so out of love, Cain took his place. Cain killed his brother so that Abel could go to heaven instead. He became the very first Knight of Hell, and this mark, along with a weapon called The First Blade, became the curse that led to him slaying hundreds of thousands of people in the name of Lucifer."

Phoebe couldn't believe what she was hearing. "And you know all of this how?" she asked.

"Cain told me."

"Cain told you," she repeated, not sure she had heard him correctly. "You met Cain."

"He's the one who gave me this mark. I used it, and The First Blade to kill another Knight of Hell. A red-headed bitch called Abbadon."

Suddenly Phoebe remembered the image of a red-haired woman, lying dead at Dean's feet. "This Abbadon, I think she was a part of my premonition. That First Blade thing, does it look like a jawbone?"

Dean's eyebrows shot up, "How could you know that?"

"How many times do I need to explain this?" Phoebe said, pointing at herself. "I. Am. Psychic."

"Yeah, okay I get it," he said, throwing his hands up in defeat. "And yes, the blade is a jawbone. The mark—" he grabbed his forearm, like he was in some kind of pain "—it craves the thing. Like it isn't complete without it, you know? But, don't worry, Sam hid it. I have no idea where it is."

Phoebe nodded, not sure what to say next. "Do you want to know the other things I saw? In my premonition, I mean."

Dean looked uncomfortable.

"You don't have to account for all of them, or explain yourself. Although, it would be good to know if these things happened already, or if they're going to happen in the future. Just as a precaution."

Dean nodded, "You know I'm trying right? I'm trying my best to be okay with this whole situation."

"Prove it," Phoebe challenged.

The hunter sighed, and slammed shut the book that he had been attempting to read for hours. "What did you see, Phoebs?"

Momentarily taken aback by the sheer openness of his attitude, and the casual way he was speaking to her, Phoebe had to take a moment to gather her thoughts. She sat down next to him, and did her best. "Well I saw this Abbadon, dead at your feet, and the mark on your arm was glowing red…"

"The effect of the blade on the Mark is… Scary. When they're united it's like I can't control the rage, the lust for death, it's difficult to explain."

"That's okay," Phoebe said, moving to sit in the seat Sam had just vacated. "Any information is better than the silence of these last few days. Take your time."

Dean got quiet for a minute, "I don't trust anyone, Phoebe. It's not just because you're witches, I mean maybe it was at first… But it's not because of anything you've done. In fact, I think you and your sisters have been much better to my brother and me than we really deserve. I just have this habit of endangering the people around me, so getting close to anyone is kind of out of the question."

"Well, I think you might be in the right place then, because the Halliwells have that same problem. I can't tell you the number of relationships I've had, that any one of us have had, romantic or otherwise, that have been ruined by our duties as Charmed Ones. But, we need you and your brother, Dean. We need Cas too. Without you guys, this could be the end of us, and that is not something I'm okay with. So whatever this is that you're going through, we're going to do everything in our power to help."

Dean nodded, "Thank you."

Phoebe nodded, "Of course."

"So what else was in your premonition? Abbadon, Jo, there couldn't be anything much worse than that stuff."

"Well," she started cautiously, "In one moment I saw you with black eyes in a room full of corpses, so that could be bad."

Dean swallowed, "Black eyes, huh? Well, that's a tricky one."

"Why?"

"That could be the past, but it could still be the future as well."

"Okay… So you're telling me that in the past you have been…"

"A demon, yeah. Sam cured me of it, and he could do it again, but he'd have to catch me first. And if I remember correctly, that wasn't so easy last time."

Phoebe's mind was on red alert at this point. She had some kind of track record. How was it that she could fall for not just one demon, but two? Granted she wasn't nearly as far gone this time as she had been with Cole, but she was certainly drawn to Dean, more than she'd been drawn to anyone in a long time. The more he opened up to her, the more she could feel the two of them connecting, and she knew he felt it too.

Standing up from the table, Phoebe made her way back to the cauldron, hoping that putting some distance between the two of them would help her think clearer. "So, how does one become a demon exactly? Aren't they usually just born that way?"

"Usually," Dean agreed, standing to follow her to the counter, and then sitting down on the barstool nearest to her. "It has to do with the Mark. I can't die, it won't let me. So, when I was killed recently, it resurrected me with black eyes and a really bad temper."

"When you were killed?"

"It happens more often than you might think," he confessed.

"Alright," Phoebe said, rifling through ingredients. "But, you aren't one now? How does that work?"

"A few injections of human blood is all you need to cure someone. Sam made up a store of it while I was on the loose, so he was ready once he actually found me."

"On the loose," Phoebe chuckled, "You make it sound like you were an escaped convict, or something."  
"The kind of things I did while I was on that black-eyed bender… I could have been. That's how I know Crowley so well. I was kind of his best friend for a while. I suspect that the reason he won't answer any of my messages is because he's still feeling a little put out since I'm human again."

"Best friends with the King of Hell. I wouldn't put that on your resume," Phoebe joked.

Dean smiled, a rare occurrence. "Job duties, torture, drinking, and nursing a feeling of general malice toward the world."

Phoebe laughed, "Oh my god, I have developed a seriously dark sense of humor."

"You can't do anything but laugh about it, or it would probably kill you. I get that."

"You do, don't you? You both do. Jesus, Dean, what was in the cosmos that brought us all together? It had to be something," she said, her fingers tracing circles on his hand. To her surprise he didn't move it away. Instead, he did one better and intertwined his fingers with her own.

"What's going on here, Dean?" Phoebe asked.

"You tell me, sweetheart," he said, and somehow the nickname sounded endearing this time, instead of patronizing. "This is uncharted territory."

Suddenly Phoebe thought of Cole, and then almost like it was a reflex, she pulled her hand away. "Not for me, it isn't."

Dean nodded, "Maybe you'll tell me about that sometime."

Phoebe didn't answer. Instead, she went back to creating a potion that could exorcise this new form of demon they were being hunted by. She could not get involved with this man, no matter how much the powers at be were telling her she should. After Cole, she had practically sworn off of love, or any love of the supernatural variety. The fact that Dean could become a demon was just too much for her to handle. She could not go through the agony of losing love to the dark side again. It would be the end of her, she was sure of that.

Pretty soon, Dean realized that their conversation was over, and he returned to his research. He didn't question her further, didn't press her for information the way she had done to him, and internally she thanked him for that. For the second time since they met, the two of them sat in silence, each one focusing on something different. Phoebe wasn't sure what was ahead of them, but she knew that it had better end soon, or her resistance to her feelings for Dean, would be futile.

* * *

"She looks so peaceful," Sam said, sitting down next to Paige, who was lying unconscious in Piper's bed. The redhead had only been out for about a day, but Sam already missed her smile.

Piper nodded, "I know. But, according to Leo, her mind is running away with her. I guess she must be trying to come to grips with what happened."

"She went through an incredibly traumatic incident. I imagine she'll need some time to work through it."

"I just think it would be a lot easier if she could get outside of that head of hers. She's always five steps ahead of all of us, always thinking, always planning the next move, and sometimes I'm not so sure that's good for her."

The witch walked over and placed the silver vase filled with lily of the valley that she had brought upstairs with her, on the nightstand. Then, she pulled the charm pouch that Phoebe had made, out of her pocket, and folded it in her little sister's palm. She took a few deep breaths before uttering an incantation. "Minions of the dark now quit this place, for only light shall she embrace."

The lights in the room flickered, letting Sam know that the protection spell had been enacted. He still couldn't quite fathom the power that these women possessed. He wondered what its limits were, but thought asking might be too forward. Instead he turned his attention back to Paige.

"Do you think that the spell will coax her from her sleep?"

"Only time will tell, unfortunately," Piper replied. "Do you mind staying here with her for a while? I should go see if the boys are up from their nap, and it might do her some good to have someone here with her, just letting her subconscious know she's not alone."

"Of course I'll stay," Sam said, surprised that Piper would trust him with such a job. But, maybe he shouldn't have been so surprised. She seemed to know that he was trustworthy, for as much time as she let him spend with her kids. And, who knows? Maybe she could sense his feelings for her sister. A woman's intuition, or something along those lines. Whatever it was, it made Sam feel incredibly honored to have gained the confidence of such a strong, powerful, and important woman.

"Thank you, Sam. For everything. These last few days have been so confusing, and exhausting… With Leila, and the demons I've barely had time to take care of myself, much less my sons. If you and your brother weren't here, I'm not sure what I would do—" Piper's voice cracked as she became emotional. Sam stood and placed a hand on her shoulder, hoping he could bring her a little bit of comfort. Taking him completely off guard, Piper threw her arms around him, and buried her head in his chest, sobbing.

"Whoa, Piper," Sam said wrapping his arms around the distraught woman. "What's going on?"

Piper pulled away, and wiped her nose with the back of her hand. "I'm sorry, I know that was a bit forward. I'm just completely overwhelmed with the state of everything, and with Paige down… The last few years she has kind of been my rock. I know it's selfish to think about how much I need her when she's laying here hurt, but Phoebe isn't much of a listener, and I feel like such a failure of a mother—"

Sam sighed and then opened his arms, pulling her back to him. "It's alright, Piper. We're all doing the best we can considering the circumstances. Honestly, you are one of the strongest people I have ever met. You're a loving sister and an amazing mother, and I know all of that after only knowing you for just five days. These attacks, they're beyond your control. They're beyond any of our control. But, we can handle it."

Piper nodded, maybe a little too profusely, "I know, I know you're right… Thank you, Sam, for saying those things."

"I mean every word," he replied, pulling away. "We're going to make it through this, okay? Now I think you'd better go and hug your boys."

"I think that's the best idea I've heard all day."

Piper began to leave, but then turned back around, as if she had remembered something. "If you want to, you can read her that book," she pointed to a red, hardcover that was laying on her nightstand. "It's her favorite."

Sam picked it up, turning it over to read the title, "The Wizard of Oz?"

"At first I think it was a childhood thing, you know, something her parents read her when she was little. But, once she became a witch I think it was comforting to escape to a world where the wizards weren't real, and the witches could melt, and all of it was just one big dream."

Sam nodded, understanding that Paige having to deal with the knowledge of her true heritage could not have been easy. Simply getting pulled back into hunting had been difficult for him, and he had done it all his life. Sam couldn't imagine starting from scratch and not being completely overwhelmed. Getting a little comfort from a favorite childhood novel was just about the least hostile of the many coping mechanisms at Paige's disposal. He smiled, wondering how he had stumbled across such an extraordinary woman. In that moment Sam wished, more than anything, that Paige was awake so he could tell her how much he admired her, even though he was sure words couldn't completely express it.

Sam opened the book and read a few pages, glad to be privy to this intimate detail of Paige's life. But then shut it again, unable to concentrate on the words, as the ones Piper had said swirled around in his mind.

"You know she needs you right?" Sam said out loud, even though he was sure Paige couldn't hear him. "You might think she doesn't, but you and Piper and Phoebe, you're like three pieces to a puzzle that can make or break the future of the world. Dean and I are like that too… Though maybe not always on such a global scale. We help keep each other going, even when the going is at its toughest.

"Paige, I know something happened at that park, something Dean isn't telling me. Every time he goes out to fix up the Impala he works on it like he's pissed off at the world. The attack was just too personal, and I can tell something is off."

Sam chuckled, "If I could ever get any information out of the guy it wouldn't be a problem, but he's about as prone to sharing as Chris. I just wish I knew, for even a minute, what was going on in that head of his."

Since he had started to talk, Sam had been staring out the window. So, when Paige began to stir, he didn't realize it.

"So," she croaked, her voice hoarse from lack of use, "Are you telling me that all I'm good for is information and saving the world?"

"Hey," Sam said, shooting out of his chair. Instinctively, he pushed Paige's orange hair back from her eyes, before realizing that an action like that might have been a little too familiar. If Paige minded, she didn't let on. "How are you feeling?"

Paige answered by trying to sit up, but the pain of even the slightest movement knocked the wind out of her.

"Alright…" Sam said, helping her lay back down. "You need to take it easy, Paige. Your body has been through a lot. It essentially burned from the inside out, so while you might look fine, your insides might not be up to a lot of activity yet."

"It's so hot," Paige said. Sam stood and pulled back the green comforter on Piper's bed, exposing Paige in just a simple, white tank top and a pair of briefs.

"Better?" he asked, attempting to ignore the amount of bare skin she was sporting.

Paige nodded, and smiling slightly, handed Sam the protection pouch that Piper had placed in her palm. "Be careful," she told him, "Oleander… How long was I out?"

"Not long. About a day," Sam replied, placing the pouch down on the nightstand. "How much of the attack do you remember?"

The witch swallowed, "I need water, Sam. Like, now."

Realizing that Paige had been in a coma like state for a few days, and had also been burned severely from the inside, Sam shot up, and out the door of Piper's room, promising the sick girl that he would be back with a pitcher in hand. As he made his way to the kitchen, he hoped he wouldn't attract too much attention to himself. Since no one was aware that Paige was awake yet, he thought it might be best to keep it that way for a while. There was information she had that he really needed, before the craziness her sisters would be feeling over her awakening got in the way.

As if the universe was, for once, in tune with his mind, everyone seemed to have deserted the first floor of the manor. Phoebe had gone upstairs to administer her memory potion to Leila, Piper was busy with Chris and Wyatt, and Dean… Where was Dean? Sam walked into the family room, and was unsurprised to see his brother through the front windows, working on the Impala. There was such a fury about the way he went about it, like it had pissed him off by being destroyed. Sam shook his head. It was just one more thing that he couldn't help his brother through. Once upon a time, Dean had actually tried to teach his little brother how to take care of the precious muscle car, but ever since he had been given the Mark, he was sharing less and less of himself. With each passing day, Sam could see his brother becoming more and more closed off. It scared him more than demon possessions or even Lucifer himself. In fact, Sam was sure that losing his brother scared him more than anything.

Heading back up the stairs, glass and pitcher in hand, Sam couldn't help the thoughts swirling around in his head. He knew that he cared for Paige, more than he had cared anyone in a very long time, but the things that she knew had to take precedence over his feelings for her in this moment. He tried to remember that as he opened the door and saw Paige lying there, so beautiful, nearly unconscious, and clearly in pain.

"I'm back," he told her, not sure she was still coherent. She opened her eyes, so brown they were almost black, and smiled at him faintly.

"You are," she agreed.

Sam sat down next to her on the bed, and did his best to sit her up without hurting her too much. When she was finally upright, and slumped against the bed's headboard, he poured her a glass of water, and tipped her head back to help her drink it. She gulped it down like it was oxygen, and quickly asked for another glass. Sam obliged, and she drank four more before she finally seemed satisfied.

"Thank you, Sam."

"You're welcome. How are you feeling?"

"A little more myself now. Did Leo heal me? Is that why I'm still alive? Because I'm pretty sure I shouldn't be here right now. I can remember the pain."

Sam shook his head, "No, Leo didn't come in time. Your sisters actually saved you. They called on your ancestors or something."

"And they answered?" Paige asked in disbelief. "That is… They don't have to do that, you know."

"No, I didn't know that actually. But, I'm sure the fate of one of the Charmed Ones is pretty important to them."

"It was brave of Piper and Phoebe to do that, too. It could have been seen as using their powers for personal gain, since I am their sister and all. But, if the family answered their call, then I must still be needed for something here."

Sam swallowed, "I actually wanted to ask you… How much do you remember about getting injured? Do you remember why or who sent the hellhounds after you?"

Paige looked at him for a moment, and then down at her hands that were folded gingerly in her lap. "It's all a bit… fuzzy. I remember there were demons all over Dean's car, and one of them, a woman, was the head honcho. She said something about her boss needing Dean alive."

"Do you know who she was? Did she give a name?"

To an untrained eye, Paige may have just looked like she was trying very hard to remember who this demon had been. But Sam, who had conducted hundreds of interrogations, could tell the difference between someone trying to remember something, and someone trying to decide whether it was in their best interest to give up some kind of information. In this moment, Paige was doing the latter.

Sam's eyes narrowed, "Who was it, Paige? I know you remember."

"I think you should talk to Dean about it."

"Don't you think I've tried? He doesn't talk to me anymore. It's like whatever trust we had, left when that Mark on his arm was put there. I know he's keeping something big from me, but I'm never going to get it out of him. Please, if you care about me in any way, tell me what you know. And, if not for me then do it for Chris. Any information that you can give, is going help us get that much closer to figuring out why these demons are after him too."

Paige nodded, and held out her hand to him. Carefully he took it, not sure what would hurt her and what wouldn't. "Sam, I do care about you. For some reason, I feel like I understand you, and that you understand me, which is scary because I haven't known you for very long. But, I'm not sure how you're going to react when I tell you what you want to know, so please, go get my sisters, your brother, Leila, and Leo, and then we can all talk about what exactly is going on here. Is that fair?"

Sam nodded, "Piper will finally get that family meeting she's been asking for."

Paige laughed, and looked down at their intertwined fingers with a pleased look on her face. "Were you reading _The Wizard of Oz_ before?"

"I was," Sam smiled. "Piper said it's your favorite."

"She's right. What's your favorite?"

Sam looked down at the floor.

"Oh come on! Tell me," she pled, the light returning to her eyes.

"It's… _The Outsiders_ by S.E. Hinton. Have you heard of it?"

Paige shook her head, "What's it about?"

"Uh, it's about a gang war between rich kids and poor kids. The book centers more on the gang of poor boys and all of their relationships with one another. They're like this band of brothers that would pretty much do anything for each other."

"Sounds familiar," Paige winked. "The band of brothers part anyway. You, Cas, Dean, all fighting the rival gang of evil supernatural beings."

"Something like that," Sam said, squeezing her hand. "I'll be right back, okay? I'm going to go and get everyone, tell them it's time for a family meeting."

"Can you tell one of my sisters to bring me the Book of Shadows while you're at it?"

"Book of Shadows. Got it," Sam replied.

"Um, and Sam?" Paige said, causing him to turn back around.

"Yeah?"

"Come here, once."

"What do you mean?"

"Just sit back down."

Sam sat.

"Now come here for a minute."

"Huh?" Sam asked, thoroughly confused.

Paige looked annoyed, "Sam, this is my coy way of saying I'd like to give you a thank you kiss, but I can't move that far."

"Oh," Sam blushed. He looked around the room, slightly flustered, but did his best to man up as he leaned toward Paige. Their lips met, only for a few seconds. It was a simple peck, but it told Sam all he needed to know about where the two of them stood. Something in the cosmos had worked very hard to bring Sam and Dean to the Charmed Ones. Since they had met, it had felt like they had somehow known each other for years. Paige and Sam were the younger siblings, somehow tasked with caring for their older ones. Maybe, by joining forces, they could learn to take care of themselves by taking care of one another.

 **End Notes: Alright, so I realize that chapter was a lot of Phoebe/Dean, Sam/Paige fluff, but in the spirit of character development, I think it had to be done! I promise there is more action coming!**

 **As always PLEASE REVIEW. I love to hear your compliments, criticisms, and conjectures. They definitely help me through the process of writing this fic. Thank you so much for reading!**

 **XOXO AryaUnderfoot**


	7. Witches and Angels and Demons, Oh My!

7- Witches and Angels and Demons… Oh My!

Castiel opened his eyes. He blinked. And, again. He looked around. Where was he? More importantly, where were Sam and Dean? All at once it came flooding back. There had been an attack. He had healed Piper. No doubt he had been out cold for days.

The troubles that his borrowed grace posed were not new to Cas. When he had started to heal Piper, he knew that it could potentially cost him his life. But, with what he knew about the Charmed Ones, and without their whitelighter in sight, Cas knew it was his responsibility to do whatever he could to save the force that was the Power of Three.

He sat up in bed, realizing that one of the sisters must have loaned him their room. It was decorated simply for a girl's room, Cas thought. Though, he could simply not know enough about the female sex to judge. The bedspread was a stark white, the walls a dark red, and the rest of the room was decorated with wood furniture. This included a glass paneled cabinet filled with candles and herbs, most likely for Wiccan rituals, and facing Cas, a large vanity covered in pictures. There were shots of the sisters together, with Leo and the boys, and even some of them when they were children, one of them unrecognizable to the angel. Whichever sister this room belonged to, it was clear that nothing was more important to her than her family.

Above all of the pictures was a mirror, and when Castiel looked into it, he almost didn't recognize the angel staring back. His normally clear, tan complexion had turned incredibly pale and sallow. He had dark rings under his eyes like the ones the brothers got after an all-night research session, and creases in his forehead that hadn't been there before. When he tried to stand, it took all of his angelic strength to simply get upright. As he stood there, replenishing what energy he could, Cas realized that his vessel was fading. Without his grace to sustain it, the body that had formerly belonged to Jimmy Novak could not be maintained. If he didn't get it back soon, he didn't think he would be able to go on.

Water, he thought. That's what the humans need. His vessel's stomach growled. Water, and maybe some food… Cas opened the door to a long hallway that was strangely deserted. Very precariously, he walked toward the staircase, limping, his right side pushed up against the wall for support. He made it to the end without much trouble, but the stairs were going to be a different story.

He took them one at a time, first putting his right foot down, then his left on the same step, similar to the way a toddler walks down stairs. All of his weight was on the railing as he made his way, and when he reached the second to last step, he was sure that he was home free. But, his arms had other ideas as they buckled under his weight and he fell face first onto the ground.

Pain shot through Castiel's entire body, as parts of it he knew should not be bent certain ways, were bent anyway. He tried moving, but he knew he was kidding himself. Craning his neck to look around he realized there was no one around. How was he supposed to get up now?

"Hello?" he called, hoping that someone was in the kitchen, just being very quiet. "Is anyone there? I need some assistance."

Cas heard someone rustle around in the next room. "Hello?" an unfamiliar, female voice called out.

"Over here," Cas said weakly.

"Oh my god," the girl said, walking in from the dining room, the sight of Cas taking her completely off guard. "Are you alright? What's going on?"

"I have fallen, and I'm not sure I can get up."

"Oh, okay… Let me just…" the girl looked around, as if she was hoping someone would walk in and save her from having to lift a full grown man off of the floor.

"If you could just flip me over," Cas said.

"Oh my gosh, of course! I'm sorry. I should be better at this, I'm training to be a nurse," she said as she helped Castiel roll onto his back and then sit up. He was breathing hard, completely spent. But, as his vision cleared and he saw the face of the girl in front of him, he jumped.

"You're a demon!"

The girl's eyes widened, "No, no I swear I'm not. My name is Leila. I was a vessel, but the demon has been exorcized, I swear!"

Cas blinked, taking in this information. He was still breathing incredibly hard, and he wasn't sure what to do about it. Then he looked down, and did his best not to gag. The bone in his arm was broken and exposed, sticking up out of the flesh. He wasn't sure why he couldn't feel it. Perhaps the adrenaline from the fall was numbing the pain. Either way, he was going to need to go to a hospital if he didn't get someone to heal him soon.

"Oh, wow. Your arm is super broken," Leila said, her tone steadier than Castiel would have imagined.

"You're a nurse," he said, shoving his broken appendage in her general direction.

"Don't move it!" she exclaimed. "I'm in nursing school, yeah. But I'm actually training to be a delivery nurse. I know things about broken bones, like general things, but it isn't my area of expertise."

"You said your name was Leila?"

"Yes."

Castiel looked at her, and really saw her for the first time. She was young, and there was fear in her bright, blue eyes, but she masked it well. What she must have had to go through in the last few days was horrendous, but here she was walking around the manor like she hadn't just been possessed, or stumbled across an entirely new world. The resilience of humanity never ceased to amaze the angel.

"I am Castiel, but I suppose you could call me Cas. That is what the Winchester brothers call me."

"You're Cas? Sam and Dean told me about you. You're a…"

"An angel, yes," he grunted, the feeling starting to return to his arm.

"So why can't you heal that?" she asked, pointing to his injury.

"It's… complicated. Are Sam and Dean here?"

"Oh, yeah they are," Leila replied, disappointed that Cas no longer seemed to want her help. "Hang on, I'll go and get them."

"Leila," Cas said, stopping her before she left the room, "Did you know that your name is also the name for the angel of childbirth? She's an old friend. A strange coincidence considering your occupation, but I sign, I think, that you are on the right path. Thank you for assisting me."

Leila smiled, a bright, grateful smile, and nodded before leaving the room. A few seconds later she reentered, followed by a distraught Dean, and a wide-eyed Phoebe.

"Cas, what the hell… Why didn't you just call for someone?" Dean asked, kneeling down next to him.

"I was unsure there was anyone to call," Cas said, doling out a little bit of a guilt trip. "But, I am glad that you decided to stay with the sisters. You will not regret it."

"Hello to you too, Cas," Phoebe said, winking at the angel. "Let me go get Leo. He'll be able to help you with that arm."

Cas turned to Dean, "Where is Sam? Is he alright?"  
"He's fine, just a little preoccupied by small children, and pretty witches at the moment. Cas, we're making headway on this case, but I'm glad you're back with us. We're going to need you."

"Dean, about that—"

"I hear there's someone who needs some healing?" a tall man said, entering the hallway, and interrupting Cas. "Hello Castiel. It is an honor to finally meet you. I'm Leo, the girls' whitelighter, and Piper's husband."

Leo knelt down next to Dean, and outstretched his hands. A gold, shimmering light pulsed from them, and as quickly as it had been broken, Castiel's bone, muscle, and tissue were all woven back together, completely healed.

"Thank you Leo."

"Don't mention it," the whitelighter said, helping Cas to his feet. Still weak, his knees buckled, but luckily Dean and Leo were there to catch him.

"Whoa, Cas. What's going on?" Dean asked, placing the angel back against the wall.

"He's weak," Leila interjected, pushing Dean out of the way. Castiel couldn't help but snicker at the look of surprise on the eldest Winchester brother's face before turning back to his savior of sorts. She was looking him right in the eye, her face much closer to his than Castiel was comfortable with. She was very pretty, blonde, blue-eyed, with a short, compact figure. But, despite her size, she seemed like a force to be reckoned with, completely unafraid to stand up to the demon-hunting strangers that were at least a foot taller than her.

"You're feverish," she said, feeling his forehead. Then, to Castiel's surprise she opened his mouth, "Not to mention you have dry mouth, are shaking almost uncontrollably, and are drenched in sweat. He's extremely dehydrated,"—she turned to Dean—"Was no one watching him while he was unconscious?"

Dean looked lost for words, so Cas did his best to explain, "On any other occasion I wouldn't need food or water; I could replenish those necessary things myself using my angelic grace. However, my grace was stolen from me, and I used most of my borrowed grace's strength to heal Piper, so I am very weak. Dean would not have known to watch me, he never has had to before."

Leila nodded, her frown disappearing slightly. "Leo, can you do anything about the dehydration?"

"I can try, but he is still going to be weak. There isn't anything I can do about a fading grace. But, thank you, for Piper."

Castiel nodded, and as Leo put his glowing hands over the angel's chest, he felt the faintness and the fever dissipate. When Leo was done, Cas was happy to find that he could stand and almost walk on his own. However, he stayed close to Leila, believing that the girl would be there to lean on if he needed her. Strange, that when Dean and Sam were both in reach, he chose the girl he barely knew, to trust in that moment.

"We should probably get you to the kitchen, get you some water, maybe some food," Leila said.

"No time," Dean replied. "We need you in here Cas, you too demon girl. Let's go."

"Um, excuse me, I have a name, _hunter boy_ ," Leila scoffed, "And he needs to rest right now."

"He's been resting for a week! We don't have time for this… Sam!"

The older Winchester came loping into the hallway, Chris in his arms. "Dean, what's—" Sam stopped talking when he saw Castiel's weakened state.

"Can you please tell her how important it is that Cas gets back to work right now? We need him, am I right?"

"Please, he needs time to get better. Without this grace thing you guys were talking about, I think he's more human than angel."

"Dean, let's just give him a minute to collect himself," Sam implored. "That's what he would do for you."

Dean looked from Cas, to Leila, and finally to his brother. As he locked eyes with Sam, Castiel could tell he felt incredibly betrayed. Dean was the classic big brother. Cas knew that he cared about the health of his friends, but first and foremost he cared about their safety. Dean felt like the entire situation was his fault, and he was doing his best to atone for it. As much as Cas wasn't ready to dive headfirst into another major conflict, he knew he would have to. That's just what family does for one another.

"Leila, thank you for being so concerned about my well-being. I think I will be okay, thanks to Leo. I could use a glass of water, but Dean is right, we should get to work as soon as we can. I'm sure I've missed a lot."

Dean clapped Cas on the back, making the angel wince. "You'll catch on. Let's get back in there, huh?"

"I'll get you a glass of water," Leila said, clearly skeptical of Cas's choice to forego his own health, but walked out of the room without another word.

"We'd better get back in there," Leo said. "If I know my wife, she is not so patiently waiting for us."

Castiel watched Leila go, and for a moment felt bad about taking Dean's side over hers. She wasn't wrong when she said he was more human than angel any longer. In fact, if he didn't take it easy, he wouldn't be around to help the Winchesters at all. But, there was something about the way Dean looked at him, with so much desperation in his eyes, that made Castiel forget about himself. It was as if the eldest Winchester was sending him a silent plea, one that expressed how much he did not want to be responsible for more death. How could Cas think of himself when people that he loved were suffering?

As he headed into the family room Leila passed by, barely glancing at him as she handed him his water. Drinking it down in two fierce gulps he realized it was nowhere near enough, and that she had a right to be angry. He wasn't okay, and he wouldn't be until he could find a new grace, or get rid of his own altogether and live solely as a human. But there were bigger things at stake right now, and Cas had to do the selfless thing, and forget about his own well-being. He looked over at Leila, who was now sitting on one of the few couches in the room, next to Paige. To Cas, she had proven herself to be fiercely loyal and good in a crisis in a matter of minutes. He had no doubt she had a bigger role to play in the future. He only hoped she wouldn't be another casualty in the Winchesters' battle for good.

* * *

Being calm was just about the most difficult thing for Dean to do in that moment. Sitting in that family room, he knew he was going to have to come clean about the Mark, about being a demon, about everything he had already told Phoebe. If she hadn't been sitting next to him in that moment, he would probably have bolted. But, he knew that Piper and Sam were right. Everyone needed to come clean about everything they knew, and even though it wasn't going to be pretty, it would be necessary if they were going to move forward.

Having Cas back was a huge weight off of his shoulders as well. Something about that angel calmed him down, the way Sam couldn't anymore. Dean knew that Cas wasn't one hundred percent, it was obvious that his borrowed grace wasn't doing so hot, and it wasn't easy asking him to help. But, Dean also knew that he couldn't do this without him, that he needed every single person in that room to keep him from going dark-side again.

"Okay," Piper started, her hands were clasped, and she looked like she was addressing a classroom, not a room full of potentially lethal, grown-ass adults. Dean stopped himself from making a smart remark and let her continue. "I think we have all agreed that in order to work together, we need to have a better understanding of one another. You Winchester brothers tend to have a bad impression of witches, hopefully we can change that. And, I think you both have some explaining to do as well, if I am not mistaken. So if you want, we'll start."

No one said anything, so Phoebe spoke. "Six years ago, I, Piper, and our older sister Prue came into our powers. On our maternal side, witchcraft runs in the family. There was a prophecy, set down from our ancestors, about three sisters that would wield something called the Power of Three. These sisters, The Charmed Ones, would use this power to rid the world of evil. As it turns out, that was us."

"So what's taking so long?" Dean quipped.

Phoebe turned and put a finger to her lips, telling him to be quiet. When Dean realized it was her middle finger, all he could do was grin. He put his hands up, admitting defeat, and didn't say anything else.

"We also each have our own powers. As you know I receive premonitions, levitate, and I am also an empath, meaning I can sense emotions psychically. Paige is half-whitelighter, so her version of telekinesis is a little bit different than Prue's was…"

All of a sudden Paige yelled, "Car!" and the toy car that Wyatt had been playing with disappeared from his hands in a shimmer of light and manifested itself in the witch's hand. Wyatt shrieked in disapproval, and playfully charged his aunt, who caught him, laughing hysterically. Paige handed the boy his Hot Wheel, and he continued playing.

"I also orb," she said. "And I have charges like normal whitelighters do, but I never developed the skill of healing like Wyatt has."

"That's still incredible, Paige," Sam said, readjusting Chris in his lap.

Paige smiled coyly, "Thanks, I try."

Dean did his best not to barf and asked, "So, Wyatt can heal, and so can Leo, does that mean Chris will too?"

"No," Piper said. "He never develops that power."

"Excuse me, Piper," Castiel interjected, "But, you say that like you know. Don't you think he could develop that power eventually like his brother has?"

Piper looked uncomfortable so Leo answered for her. "We've actually met Chris as an adult. Um, he came back from the future for a few reasons, but we do know, because of that, that he doesn't have that power. He did, however, inherit Prue's version of telekinesis, as well as telekinesis by orbing, and the whitelighter gifts of photokinesis and sensing. Wyatt can orb, heal, and project a force field, but that last power is the only one he can really control. We've also seen him use the power of projection, which basically means he can manipulate reality."

"So, you're telling me," Sam said looking down at Chris, "That you know who he's going to become?"

Piper nodded, "He's going to be one hell of a kid too. If you think you like him now, wait until we tell you about how he saved his brother Wyatt here, from becoming the biggest evil the world had ever seen."

"Alright, we get it," Dean said. "The kid is fantastic, but can we get back on track? There is someone after him, remember? Someone that might want to prevent him from becoming this great person, so… Piper, you can blow things up, we know that. Anything else?"

"She stops time, remember?" Sam said with a smirk.

Dean blinked, "Right. Anything besides that?"

Piper shook her head, "But, they are the most active powers of any of ours, so watch it. The point is, you know what we're capable of, and we can promise you that there is nothing evil about us. We fight for the greater good. That's our destiny."

Dean nodded, "I'm trying to understand, I really am."

"Well, in the meantime, why don't you help us understand you?"

Dean sighed, not sure where to begin.

"For the record," Phoebe interjected, "He talked to me about the premonition I had, and it seems that everything I saw happened in the past."

"Okay… But why did those things happen?" Paige addressed Dean now. "She saw you kill people. She saw you with black eyes like those demons that infested our attic. What happened?"

"When I told Leo that the person doing those destructive things wasn't really Dean, I meant it," Sam told her.

"So he was possessed."

"Not exactly…" Sam looked to Dean.

"Look, here's the Spark Notes version. This Mark," Dean lifted his arm so they could all see, "It's called the Mark of Cain, and it's essentially pure evil. Because of it I have fits of rage, hate… it's basically why I'm in such a horrible mood all of the time. It also essentially makes me immortal. The reason I became a demon, is because I died, and that's how the Mark brought me back."

"But, I cured him. He's not a demon anymore," Sam offered as a buffer to Dean's very straightforward explanation.

None of the sisters said anything for a minute.

"Phoebe, you don't seem surprised about any of this," Piper said quietly.

"That's because he told me all of that already."

"And you neglected to share, why?"

"Because it was not my truth to tell, Piper."

"You seem eerily calm about this whole situation," Paige said, squinting at her sister. "He used to be a demon. Of all people, it should be you that's freaking out right now."

"Why?"

Paige and Piper exchanged a glance, before replying in complete unison, "Cole."

Dean watched Phoebe's face turn red, and heard her breath hitch. "Look, he isn't Cole. He's not a demon anymore, and even if he was one, he is our best bet for helping Chris," she said hurriedly. "We've been turned into more supernatural beings than anyone, who are we to judge? If he says that this Mark is making him different, we have to trust that the Dean Winchester that existed before, will be the part that helps us defeat whatever evil creeps are after him and Chris."

Piper turned to Dean, "How much is this Mark effecting you now?"

"Honestly, more than I'd like. I mean, there _is_ a reason neither of your sons will come near me, and that your husband hates me. There is a reason why I am in such a horrible mood all of the time, and why I wanted to get as far away from you girls as fast as I could. I'm not lying when I tell you that I'm dangerous, and that I have a habit, as Leo so nicely pointed out, of getting the people around me hurt."

Dean thought his next words through carefully, "But, honestly… I haven't felt better, or safer than I do now, in months. Something about being here is... comfortable. I'm not sure if it's the fact that your house feels more like home than my own, or the way the three of you care about each other, and about family, or if it's simply the light magic from the… the uh, what do you call the thing that you get your magic from again?"

"The Nexus," Phoebe smiled.

"Yeah, maybe it's that thing messing with the Mark, I don't know. But, I do know that I want to stay, and I want to help. I don't want these black-eyed ass—"

Piper cleared her throat, and gestured toward her sons.

Dean cleared his throat, rethinking his language choices and continued, "I don't want these demons to tear apart your family any more than you do. It isn't going to be easy to keep my head on straight a lot of the time, but I'm willing to try."

When he finished his speech, which he had said while mostly looking at the floor, he turned his eyes upward to his brother. Sam was staring at him, and Dean was surprised to see tears in his eyes, and his oversized hand clasped tightly by both of Paige's. He hadn't looked that proud, or just that happy when it came to Dean, in a very long time. Piper, Leo, Leila, and even Cas looked surprised as well. It was only when he turned to Phoebe that he met a pair of eyes that looked as though they hadn't doubted him for a moment. He knew he didn't deserve her trust, but he didn't need to be an empath to feel her giving it to him anyway.

"Well, I don't know about you guys," Phoebe said to her sisters, "But, that's good enough for me. In case you were wondering he is being completely genuine. I can feel it."

Everyone looked to Piper, the matriarch of the house, and the one, Dean realized that everyone looked to for guidance. She gave one curt nod, and sat back down next to Leo. With that, everyone in the room noticeably relaxed, and started to spitball ideas about what exactly they could be dealing with.

"Leila, sweetheart, how is that memory charm working for you?" Phoebe asked. Have you remembered anything else?"

The girl shook her head, "I'm sorry. It's just snippets here and there, nothing I can really make sense of. I know it has something to do with light and dark, which I can only assume is Chris and Dean, since he has that Mark thing."

"But, you're sure it's a woman?" Dean asked. "Someone who knows Crowley?"

"I'm sure."

"Alright, here's a question I've been dying to ask. Who in the hell attacked you and Paige, and wrecked the Impala?" Sam asked. "It had to have been someone you know Dean, it all hits way too close to home. Paige said someone was there. Who?"

Dean shot Paige a death glare.

"Hey, I never said anything like that. I just told him he needed to ask you," Paige protested. "A lot of what happened before I got bitten is still foggy."

Sam clenched his jaw, "Look, is there anything you want to tell me? I just feel like you're leaving something out."

Dean thought for a moment. Telling Sam about Ruby could be the right thing to do, but it also could be about the worst thing for him. He wasn't exactly sure how much Ruby meant to Sam. She had betrayed him in a major way, tricking him into starting the apocalypse and all, but they had had a major connection, one that went way beyond romance. Sam had literally been addicted to her, and Dean was not about to watch him go through withdrawal again.

He went back and forth in his head for a long time, and finally decided. "Sam, there's nothing, okay. Clearly, whoever is at the root of all this, know us better than we think. I'm fixing Baby up, she's going to be good as new when I get done. Just leave it alone now."

Sam stared at him for just a second too long, and Dean knew that he was doubting the truthfulness of his answer. But, after a moment he looked away, at least pretending to be satisfied. Dean locked eyes with Paige. It was clear she was disappointed in his answer, and that she remembered everything about the attack. Subtly he nodded, thanking her for allowing him to make this decision about his brother, hoping it wouldn't come back to bite him in the ass later.

"Speaking of who's at the root of this—" Paige started.

"Have you heard from this Crowley person yet, Dean?" Phoebe interrupted.

"No. It's been radio silence from Hell I'm afraid. I think Crowley is still pretty miffed that I'm not a demon anymore," he explained.

"We could always summon him," Cas suggested.

"You know how to summon demons?" Piper asked.

Dean frowned, "You don't? That's kind of a witchcraft thing, isn't it? You definitely have all of the ingredients to do it in your kitchen."

"Those kinds of spells are a form of very old, dark magick, Dean," Castiel attempted to explain. "Most of them are used by witches that wish to harness demonic power. I doubt the Halliwells would have much use for them."

"Well, it might be nicer than waiting for them to attack all the time," Phoebe mumbled.

"Hey guys, I—" Paige tried again.

Once again she was interrupted. This time by Piper, "Well let's give it a try. What do you need?"

"Guys, really. Listen—"

Piper shushed her younger sister, insisting that they give the summoning a try. The Halliwells and Winchesters made their way to the kitchen. Leo orbed out, saying that he needed to check in with the elders, and tell them about the new plan to summon the King of Hell. He took the boys with him, for safety. As Piper and Sam mixed the ingredients necessary for the summoning in a large bowl, Dean taught Phoebe the correct symbol to draw beside it, and the specific placement of candles that would call Crowley to them. Meanwhile, Paige and Cas, to Piper's horror, moved the kitchen table and the angel directed her in adorning the floor with a red, painted, devil's trap. After surrounding that with the same pattern of candles that sat on the counter, Sam asked who wanted to do the honors of summoning.

"I'll do it," Dean offered. He felt responsible for what was happening. The least he could do was spill a little blood for the cause.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea," Piper said. "Your blood has been demonic, and it's still being effected by the Mark. Couldn't that possibly mess with the ritual? Why don't you let me do it?"

Dean sighed and handed Piper the knife he had been holding, knowing that she was right about his blood being contaminated. Sam told her where to cut so she wouldn't bleed too much. As she lit the match and dropped it into the bowl, Sam told her to repeat after him. "Et ad congregandum, eos coram me."

Piper said the words, and for a moment the room was entirely silent. Then, just as Dean was beginning to think that they had performed the summoning wrong, they were greeted with two words that always made his jaw clench, and his stomach churn.

"Hello, boys."

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thank you guys so much for reading! I'm sorry I kept you waiting so long for this one. I'm really trying to write ahead, so I can release at least a chapter a month, but I've been so busy since spring semester started!**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed the return of Castiel! I would love to hear what you thought about his perspective. I was a new one, but I really enjoy the way he and my O/C Leila interact with one another. There is more of them coming, so I hope you guys liked it too. Also, there is some Crowley headed your way! I had a lot of fun writing him. He's so sassy!**

 **As always, PLEASE REVIEW! Your comments and suggestions really help me shape where this story goes, and I love to hear what you have to say! Once again, thank you for reading!**

 **XOXO AryaUnderfoot**


	8. In the Arms of a Hunter-In-Training

**Hello lovely readers! Thank you so much for your patience, I know this one took a long time. Writer's block has not been kind to me lately, but now that summer is upon us I will hopefully have some more time to get you more chapters. Until then, enjoy!**

 _Hello boys._

The greeting that was clearly very familiar to the Winchesters, echoed through the air. At first glance, Phoebe wasn't sure what to think of the man that had just appeared in her kitchen. He was dressed well, in a black, pinstriped suit, and his eyes looked normal for a supposed demon. They were dark brown, and judging from the matching smirk on his face, slightly amused with the situation he was in.

"What? No greeting for such an old friend?" Crowley taunted, his slight British accent adding an extra bite to his words. "You summoned me here, the least you could do is have some manners about it, don't you think, Moose?"

Sam scowled at the nickname, but didn't reply.

"I'm the one who summoned you here," Piper informed him, her tone rigid and authoritative.

Crowley scowled, "Lovely, you're teaching more people how to hold me against my will."

"It's not as if you don't deserve it," Castiel added.

"Ah, Castiel. You're still with us I see. How disappointing," the demon shot back, and then turned back to the boys. "Let's forget the formalities, shall we? What do you and your… coven, want?"

"Do you know who we are?" Piper asked.

"The Charmed Ones, isn't it? My old pal, The Source, was big fan. I heard rumors the boys were working with you. Surprising really, considering the boys' particularly violent opinion of witches."

"Where exactly did these rumors come from, Crowley?" Sam asked. "Could it be from the demons you've been sending to attack this family?"

Cowley blinked, "Demons attacked? When?"  
"A few days ago, and again a little over a week ago," Paige told him. "A horde of them wrecked Dean's car as well. Their hellhounds nearly took me out."

Crowley didn't reply. Phoebe would have expected him to laugh, or make fun of them for being so powerful, and not being able to protect themselves. That was the bad guy's usual shtick. But instead, he stayed quiet, looking as though the gears were turning in his head, like he was trying to make some kind of a connection.

"Are you seriously trying to tell me that you don't know anything about these attacks? That this had nothing to do with you?" Sam asked.

"I am a lot of things, Sam, but I don't go back on my word. Not ever. What kind of a crossroads demon would I be if I didn't know how to make good on a deal?"

"Then why are they after my son? Why are they attacking my family?" Piper shouted, obviously not believing him. "You know something, so spill it mister."

Crowley squinted at the eldest Charmed One, and smiled, "You're full of spunk aren't you? I didn't catch a name, darling, but I'd love to know you a little better."

Piper shot him a sarcastic smile in return, "It's Piper, and I'm taken. Back to why your demon creeps are after my son—"

"I promise you Piper, if there are demons coming after your child, I don't have a hand in it. I don't even know who your son is, much less have a use for him." He turned to the brothers, "You're sure they were demons, not shapeshifters or one of the other many things that always seem to find you boys?"

"They were demons," Sam replied. "We exorcized them, even saved one of the vessels."

Crowley turned, laid his eyes on Leila, studied her for a moment, and turned back, "She can't tell you where they came from I take it?"

"She has no memory of that time," Dean piped up. He had been leaning against the counter for the start of the conversation, keeping himself out of any possible confrontation. Phoebe could tell he was doing a lot to dial it back, and she felt for him. "All she can remember is the mention of something about light and darkness, and that the person leading the force, was a woman."

"Dean, how nice of you to join the conversation," Crowley said in a menacing tone. "How _is_ the Mark treating you now that you're back to being mortal? Have we been feeling a wee bit angry as of late?"

Phoebe reached out to Dean's emotions, and was taken aback upon finding that that wall she usually encountered surrounding them, was drawn back, allowing her in. She could feel the anger emanating from him, his blood practically boiling with frustration, yet his body language was nonchalant and calm. The amount of control he was exerting in that moment was astonishing, and Phoebe gave him credit for it.

Dean rolled his eyes, "Just tell us what you know, Crowley. Who hates you enough, and can incite enough loyalty in your band of black-eyed bitches, to turn some of them on you? Why do they need me and Chris, pure light and pure darkness? Think."

It was quiet in the room for a moment, and then Paige's velvety voice cut through the silence, "Can I offer a suggestion, please?"

Piper turned to her littlest sister with a sigh, "What is it Paige?"

"Look, I remembered something that I saw painted on Dean's car when the demons were trashing it. It was done in bright red paint, but I remember thinking that it looked strangely familiar, and almost Wiccan. So I asked Sam to get me the Book of Shadows, and lo and behold," Paige grabbed the thick book off of the counter and flipped through the pages, stopping about a quarter of the way in, and dramatically pointing at the page, "I found the symbols."

Phoebe and Piper both surrounded the book that had become their lifeline over the last five years, and were taken aback by what they saw. It was a very realistic drawing of a very beautiful, redheaded witch.

"Who is it?" Sam asked, peeking over the girls' shoulders.

"The symbols are Gaelic, and representative of a coven. Apparently a coven of one. Her name is Rowena," Phoebe said. "She's a witch, a very old, very powerful one."

"Is she a good witch?" Dean asked, making Phoebe smile.

"No, I don't think so. Apparently she was scorned by the Grand Coven, so she began to practice magic on her own in hopes of exacting her revenge, and went kind of crazy after a spell of hers went on the fritz."

"Grand Coven?" Sam asked.

Phoebe snorted, "They're this group of super old witches that think they're all powerful, and the greatest thing since sliced bread. We were actually propositioned by them to join the coven, but they practice dark magic. They were less than happy to be denied by the Charmed Ones."

"Have you heard of this witch, Crowley?" Castiel asked.

Phoebe looked up at the demon, and understood why Castiel had asked that question. Crowley's face had gone white as a sheet, and he looked as though he had seen a ghost. The way Sam and Dean stepped forward, and began to frantically ask questions, Phoebe could tell that the King of Hell was, normally, not this easily startled.

"Alright, what do you know?" Dean said, his voice rising as he took on the role of the bad cop.

Crowley didn't reply.

Sam, ever the good cop, tried to get Crowley to sympathize with their cause. "This isn't just about us, Crowley. This reflects your rule in hell. Someone is taking from your ranks, and weakening your kingdom. If you know something, tell us."

"Do you know her?" Dean yelled.

"Yes," Crowley replied, the spark back in his eyes now. "But, I am not going to tell you who she is, unless you promise that afterward you'll let me out of this devil's trap."

"You have our word," Dean said quickly, and even Phoebe could tell that the promise wasn't genuine.

"Pardon me, squirrel, if I don't take your promises to heart, but you and your brother have gone back on your word one too many times. I'd rather hear a promise from one of your goodly witches. They seem… passionate about their ideals."

"If you give us the information we want, we will let you go. You have my word," Piper replied.

Seeming satisfied, Crowley heaved a sigh, "Rowena is all of the things your book says. She's a witch scorned, and obsessed with redemption. She's conniving, smart, good at her craft, and ever the madwoman. But, above all that, the woman is my damned mother. That's how I know her. She raised me, or she tried, but she was always consumed by her revenge. It's safe to say we don't have much of a mother/son bond."

Dean blinked, unsure how to react, "Your _mother_ is after us?"

"So it seems," Crowley said, clearly uncomfortable with the sharing of this personal information.

"Why?" Piper asked.

"Excuse me?"

"Why? Why is she after us? My son, Dean, what are they to her? Why is she poaching your demons? What is her endgame?"

"That's a lot of questions, darling. None of which I know the answer to."

"It has to have something to do with you, doesn't it?" Phoebe said. "It doesn't make sense for her to steal from your ranks of demons if she doesn't want to hurt you in some way."

"Phoebe's right," Sam agreed. "Does she know that you're the King of Hell?"

"Of course she knows! Don't you think I made a point to tell her about it, to prove to her that I didn't need her to become _someone_?" Crowley said, his voice rising defensively.

Dean snorted, "Been at that human blood again, your highness? You're acting a little… emotional."

Crowley scowled, but didn't reply.

"So," Sam continued, "If she knows about your status in hell, what if she's trying to take over? What if she's using your demons against you, to dethrone you, and eventually use the power of hell to achieve whatever kind of revenge she wants to enact on this _Grand Coven_?"

"That's not a horrible theory, Sammy… What do you have to say, your worship?" Dean taunted.

Crowley rolled his eyes, "If you think I didn't take extra precautions to secure my throne after Abaddon, you're delusional. To get it, she would have to kill me, and not to gloat, but these days I am nearly impossible to kill. There is no way she could take my throne or my life from me. Not without some severely dark, very hard to come by, magic."

"Isn't that what she specializes in?" Paige asked.

"What's to say that isn't why she needs Chris and me?" Dean asked. "All of the research Sam and I have done say that the absolute opposites of dark and light hold great power in magical contexts. When their powers are harnessed and used together, they are able to overcome nearly anything, even killing big, bad Kings of Hell."

"My question is, why Chris?" Sam said. "Wyatt seems like the obvious choice. He's twice blessed, and has the more advanced powers. Why aren't the demons after him?"

Piper sighed, "It could be because Wyatt has been wavering on the cusp of good and evil for most of his little life. When Chris came back from the future, it was because future Wyatt had turned to the dark side, and he took it upon himself to fix what had made his brother evil. There has always been a part of Wyatt that evil appeals to, and I don't think that is true for Chris. If she's looking for purity, he would be the better choice."

Sam nodded, and turned to Crowley, "Does any of this seem plausible to you?"

"With that heinous woman, anything is possible."

"What can we do to stop her?"

"Don't you think if I _knew_ I would have done something about it by now?"

"Hang on," Paige said, looking back in the Book of Shadows. "There is actually a vanquishing potion here, but it looks pretty weak. Maybe we can give it a little bit of kick? What do you think?"

Phoebe nodded, when she saw the ingredients, "It's definitely doable, though I'm not sure how I feel about killing one of our own kind. Warlocks and demons are one thing, but a sister-witch?"

"She's evil, Phoebe, and she's after my baby boy. I have no qualms," Piper said matter of factly.

"After the stunt she pulled with the hellhounds, I can't say I do either, Phoebs," Paige agreed.

Phoebe nodded, "I suppose. Boys, what are your thoughts?"

Sam chimed in first, "I think it's the first break we've had in a while, and we need to run with it. Dean?"

Dean didn't say anything for a few seconds, "I think you need to go after this Rowena chick, but I think you need to go without me."

"What? You're our best fighter, Dean. Not to mention you're the only other person that knows the exorcism ritual. I'm going to need you in this."

"No," Phoebe countered, understanding why Dean had decided this. "He's right. If Rowena wants him, we can't bring him along. That would be like giving him up. We can learn the ritual. It's not like we're strangers to repeating incantations over and over."

Sam looked pained, and when Phoebe reached out to his feelings she felt apprehension and discomfort. She quickly realized that the real reason Sam wanted Dean there, was because he didn't feel secure fighting without him. Regardless, he nodded silently, and didn't push the subject further.

"Castiel," Piper said, "I'm interested in your opinion on this."

"I do not have much of one, to be completely honest. I have never met Rowena, or dealt with this Grand Coven, so I cannot tell you much about that. But, I do know Crowley, and if he is willing to give up information so easily, he must really dislike this woman."

Piper nodded, "Alright, I think it's time to plan an offensive." She looked to Crowley, and then turned to Sam, "How do we get rid of the King?"

Sam smiled, "Smudge the paint."

"Ah. That paint _is_ washable, correct?"

Sam looked at his feet, and Phoebe couldn't help but burst out laughing at her sister's distraught facial expression.

"Aw Piper, it's no big deal. We'll cover it up with the rug again, and no one will ever know," Phoebe said through her laughter.

"Sorry," Sam said. "Usually we're in an abandoned house, or a place no one goes. Clean up isn't exactly our strong suit, and washable paint is more expensive…"

"Uh huh."

Piper walked over to Crowley, "Thank you for your help."

"For you, darling, anything," he replied suggestively.

"Do you mean that?"

He spoke seriously this time, "If it will help secure my throne while ridding me of the knowledge that my mother is skulking around somewhere on this planet, then yes, I mean it."

"Do you have something of hers? Something that would contain some DNA or magical energy belonging to her? My sisters and I will need something to scry for her with."

"You let me out of here, love, and I'll see what I can do."

Piper looked back at Dean, who nodded in affirmation. Slowly, the witch dragged her brown, knee-high boot across the still wet, red paint. As it smeared, Crowley took a few steps forward, making sure he was free to go.

"Dean, I'll be in touch," he said cryptically before winking once at Piper, and disappearing into thin air, exactly the way he had come. Phoebe wasn't sure why, but she felt slightly more at ease now that they had a real plan. She didn't feel so defenseless in the face of these demons, and she had the Winchesters to thank for that. Now, it was time to get to work.

"Well," she said, yawning as she did, "I suppose I'd better get to work on that vanquishing potion?"

"I'll help you," Dean said, "Also, I've been meaning to tell you, if you're going to be fighting demons, you should all probably think about getting anti-possession tattoos." Dean pulled the neck of his t-shirt down slightly, revealing a black, pentagram tattoo on his chest. "It's a good precaution."

Piper put a hand up, stopping the general commotion. "Why don't we take the night?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'd like a night to spend with my sons, and my husband, before things start to get too insane _once again_. I think we all deserve that much. I'm going to go start dinner, and call Leo. You all do what you feel like you need to do before the fight begins. I'll call you when the food is ready."

Phoebe stared at her hands in her lap, and felt for Piper's emotions. As always, her older sister was worried. That never went away. In fact, Phoebe longed for the day that she could probe her sister's feelings and that wasn't the case, because honestly she worried too much. She felt too responsible for so much that she couldn't control.

 _It must be an older sibling thing_ , Phoebe thought, looking over at Dean. When she did, he turned too, and made eye contact. The corners of his mouth turned up in a small smile, and Phoebe looked away, doing what she could to stop herself from blushing. She felt extremely self-conscious when he looked at her, like she needed to fix herself, or be something for him, or even worse, mean something _to_ him, and she didn't like that feeling. Deep down, she didn't want to impress him, or rather, she didn't want to _want_ to impress him. The more she thought about it, the more she became confused, and the more she didn't want to think about it anymore.

Grabbing the Book of Shadows, she stood, not sure where she was going, but decided that anywhere was better than sitting in the silence of the living room. Before she could make it to the stairs, Paige said, "So I guess since Cas and Leila are both awake now, we should discuss sleeping arrangements. This house is getting a little full."

"Cas, will you even have to sleep?" Dean asked.

"I am not sure. It might be wise, but since I probably still need less than the average person, I will sleep down here on the couch. I will leave real beds to those who truly need them."

"Leila can stay with me," Phoebe offered, eyeing Sam's hand in Paige's. "I'm sure Piper will want to orb 'up there' for the night, to stay with Leo and the boys, so as far as I know, you're welcome to her bed, Dean. Sam, Paige, I think we all know where you two will be staying. Enjoy it," she finished with a wink, and headed up the stairs.

More than anything, Phoebe needed time to think. All of this was happening so fast, and she had way too many feelings about it. The Winchesters had been with them a little under five days, and one of them was already staying in her sister's room… _with_ her sister. Very quickly, these boys, and their angel companion, were becoming staples in their home, and it could either be an extremely wonderful decision, or a very bad one to let that happen.

She put the Book of Shadows back on the podium that stood in the middle of the room, and started idly leafing through it, an act that had become almost calming throughout her years of monster fighting. There was so much knowledge in the book, so much history, that comfort could be found in its pages. Always knowing that it was here to help, was a constant in her life, one of the _only_ constants in her life for a very long time, besides her sisters of course. They had been through so much, from gaining their powers to losing Prue, it was lucky they were still sane. For as long as she could remember they had been begging for normal lives, and here come these two, floppy haired hunters, men who know about their world, and have a deep love of family. Men who, for all intents and purposes, could give someone like her and her sisters, normal, family-oriented lives, but still allow them to go on being Charmed Ones without having to explain themselves all of the time.

"Hey," someone interrupted Phoebe's thoughts, making her jump. She turned to meet the ever-piercing, green eyes she had just been ruminating on.

"Dean, hi," she replied, slamming the Book of Shadows shut again, and then leaning so that all of her weight was on it. "Can I do something for you?"

Dean shook his head, obviously sensing some animosity in her voice. "Did you want to be alone? I can go."

Phoebe sighed, "I don't know what I want, and I think that's half the problem."

"You're going to have to be more specific. You don't know what you want regarding the situation with the demons, as a witch, regarding life in general…" Dean paused, and Phoebe knew what would come out of his mouth next. "You don't know what to do with the ruggedly handsome hunter that just drove his stunning vintage muscle car into your life? Is it one of those things?"

Phoebe let out a snort, "One, or all of those things, yes."

"This is all going to turn out alright you know."

"Like you could possibly know that," Phoebe snapped. "It's just one battle after another in an endless war. Even if I wanted to make decisions about the way my life was heading, would it matter? Would I even live long enough to see them be fulfilled?"

Dean nodded, taking a few steps toward her, "I understand. You know, once upon a time I only had a year to live."

"What are you talking about? Were you sick?"

"No, I made a deal with a crossroads demon. My soul for Sam's."

"Of course you did."

Dean smiled, "All I'm saying is, I know what it's like to have a ticking clock attached to my life. I never lived more than I did in that year. I never appreciated everything, my brother, our friends, our lifestyle, more than I did when I knew how long I had left to appreciate them. The way I see it, if you think your days in this life are numbered, you should be living more, not less."

In Dean's eyes, Phoebe saw sincerity. She didn't have to use her powers to understand that the hunter meant what he said, but she didn't know how to respond.

"I'll leave you alone now, but uh… I'm here if you need, you know, anything."

As Dean left the room Phoebe turned back to the Book of Shadows, her life's constant, her protector, and knew she couldn't hide behind it forever. There were things that she was going to have to take into her own hands. She knew Piper wanted them to wait to start the offensive on Rowena until tomorrow, but she desperately needed something to keep her mind and her hands busy.

Before she knew it she had bottled more potions than she could count, and her eyelids had become heavy with exhaustion. The house was quiet. Phoebe had no clue what time it was, but as she descended the stairs from the attic, she noted that all the lights were out. All of them, but one.

Phoebe rounded the corner to Piper's room and was unsurprised to see Dean sitting on her sister's bed with his legs crossed neatly in front of him, wide awake. He was surrounded by a number of very large, old books, but the one he was reading was smaller and leather-bound. He was so enthralled with his work that he didn't look up until Phoebe cleared her throat.

"Hey," he said, looking surprised. "You're up late."

"I could say the same about you," Phoebe countered, entering the room and moving a few books so she could sit down next to him. "What are you working on?

"Uh, nothing. Nothing important," Dean said, closing up a few of the books. "It's just a… uh… a hobby of mine."

"Uh huh, you know I can tell when you're lying."

"Oh really? Did you just develop the power of lie detection?"

"No, but feelings of apprehension or nervousness when questioned usually means you're hiding something. I'm not sure why, but I'm very attuned to your emotions, which is how I know that you're also kind of frustrated... Is there anything I can do to help?"

Dean sighed, "No, I don't think so. I was originally looking for extra information on Rowena, which led me to information on the Grand Coven, and its founding members, which led me to some information that I'm not sure what to do with. Honestly it's probably nothing. Just more empty information that leads nowhere."

"What's that?" Phoebe eyed the book Dean had been so glued to just a moment ago.

"Uh, it was my Dad's. It's a journal of all of his hunting experiences. It's pretty straight forward, you know, what kind of monster he found, what its strengths and weaknesses were, and how he eventually put it down. Sam and I gained a lot of our hunting skills from reading this book…" he trailed off, seemingly lost in his thoughts.

"Where is that frustration coming from?" Phoebe asked, feeling it again.

"Mostly it comes from the fact that my father taught me everything I know about hunting, and it wasn't even half of what I actually needed to know. There was so much he never warned us about, and we're paying for it now. I want to remember all the good things about him, you know. Lord knows Sam doesn't. They never got along. But, it's so hard to remember the good things when there is so much crap Sam and I could've avoided if he had just been honest with us."

"I'm sorry. I get mad at my mother sometimes too, and my grandmother. They bound all three of our powers when we were infants, and they never told us what we were. They didn't give us our own choice, and they definitely didn't prepare us for the life we live now."

"I'm sorry too," Dean said. "I didn't know any of that."

"Regardless of how close we are all becoming, there is still a lot we don't know about each other. The connection is there, our families seem to have been destined to find one another. It's the lack of both background information and trust that worries me."

"Do you trust me?" Dean asked suddenly.

Phoebe was unsure how to answer, and knew that she needed to pick her next words carefully. "I… I think I do. I know I shouldn't, not after…"

"Cole?"

That name on Dean's lips made Phoebe go pale, "What?"

"It's just a name I've noticed everyone throwing around without any kind of explanation. Is he… the one you couldn't save?"

"Cole is my ex-husband. My ex- _demon_ -husband."

"You married a demon."

"In my defense, he was human when I married him. He got his powers back afterward."

"But, you knew he had been a demon beforehand?"

Phoebe nodded, "I loved him anyway. He fought his dark side, and tried so hard to be all that he could for me, but I couldn't save him from himself. Which is why trusting you to be any different is almost impossible. You are exactly like him. You're brooding and angry, and tortured. And just like I wanted to save Cole, I want to save you. I want to prove to you that you are more than that Mark on your arm, that you can overcome the evil. Which is idiotic of me. He couldn't do it, so why should you be able to? But, for some reason, some stupid, strange reason, I still believe in you."

"That's… I don't even know what to say to that. I guess it's been a while since anyone's really believed in me or at least a while since anyone has admitted it outright. It honestly feels like Sam and I have been doomed for a while, destined to fail. Finding you and your sisters… As hard as it was to deal with at first, I'm glad it happened. It's nice to have people that are honest with us, and who seem to genuinely care about us and whether or not we win this fight. That doesn't happen often in our line of work."

Before she could change her mind, Phoebe took Dean's hand and edged closer to him. There was only a few inches between her face and his. She could smell alcohol on his breath and knew that he had been drinking a lot lately, to stifle the effects of the Mark. She felt his pain, his yearning, and she wanted to help him forget about it, if only for a little while.

"What are you doing, Phoebe?" he asked, turning his head away from her just slightly.

"Well, it's the last night before the war begins… I'm going to take your advice and live more," she replied, placing her hand on his cheek, and turning his head toward hers. Once their lips met, it was as if a frenzy overtook them. Phoebe found herself sitting in his lap, breathing him in like oxygen. And in that moment, wrapped in his embrace, she felt his emotions course through her, mixing with her own. She felt want, lust, passion, and one thing she would never have expected to feel from either one of them: security.

* * *

Light streamed through Phoebe's pink curtain's the next morning, waking Leila from her sleep. Turning over she quickly realized that Phoebe had never come in the night before. She imagined for a moment, all of the scenarios the witch could have gotten herself into, but then figured that wasn't really her business. Getting out of bed she felt her stomach growl, and wondered if Piper was up making breakfast like she had been for the last week or so. When she entered the kitchen, she was surprised to find it empty. Usually by this time the kitchen was full of people. Sam would be busy keeping Wyatt and Chris occupied while their mother cooked. Dean would be poring over some old book, looking for answers to many of the unanswerable questions they had been encountering. Paige, Leila's saving grace, and wonderful whitelighter, would be there calming all her fears and making her laugh, something Leila wasn't sure she could do without her friend's patience and sincerity. There was always a hubbub going on early in the morning, and the fact that there wasn't one going on today made it very clear to Leila that the families were getting ready for a fight.

As she started up the coffee maker, Leila began to get used to the silence. In fact, after everything that had happened, and everything she had learned over the past few days, the quiet was a welcome change. In the sunroom she sipped the hot liquid and watched the sun stream in through the stained glass windows, feeling almost at peace for the first time since arriving in the Halliwell's home. It wasn't as if the sisters hadn't been welcoming. They had been more than that, answering her every question, being brazenly honest even though they had no cause to trust her. And the Winchester brothers had been good to her too, she thought, including Castiel in that mix. Dean was distant but she knew the darkness he was wrestling with, and that it wasn't easy for him. Sam was sweet, and made her feel safer than anyone else ever had. He was kind, easy to trust, but strong and capable. And Cas…

Leila's thoughts trailed off as she heard a loud fit of coughing coming from the living room, the first sign of life she had heard all morning. Walking into the living room she nearly dropped her coffee as she took in the scene before her. Quickly, she placed it down on an end table as gingerly as she could, and doing her best to control her shaking hands, ran over to Castiel. She had forgotten that he had been spending the night on the couch, though it was clear to her now, that he hadn't gotten much rest.

He was slumped over on the couch, sweating profusely, his trench coat and tie in a pile on the floor. There was a bucket lying near, and Leila wondered for a moment where he had gotten it, but quickly pushed that thought from her mind, distracted by the fact that it was filled halfway with blood and vomit. There was also blood staining the front of the angel's white dress shirt, and Leila watched as he began to cough up more of it, too weak to even attempt leaning over the pail. She grabbed it hoping that she could help him hold on to at least some of his dignity. She touched his forehead and then immediately pulled back, he was burning up to a degree she didn't think was possible. Touching him was like placing her hand on a burning stove.

"Castiel," she said, wondering if he could even hear her. "Have you been like this all night? Cas?"

"Unfortunately, yes," he said between coughs. As the fit subsided he sat back, breathing heavily.

"Let me get you some water, okay? I'll be right back, don't move."

Leila hurried to the kitchen, unsure of exactly what to do, but then set herself to work, deciding that she would just have to figure something out. She was not about to let an angel die on her watch. Re-entering the living room she stripped Cas of his bloody shirt, doing her best not to touch his flaming skin. When she was through she did her best to lay him back on the couch, and helped him drink the glass of water she had gotten from the kitchen.

"Okay, Cas, talk to me. What can I do?"

"There's nothing to do, I'm afraid. I am dying. Without my own grace, there is little hope for my survival."

He said it as if it were a fact, like he had already accepted the end of his own life. Leila couldn't stand it, "Well, we'll find your grace then. I'll help you find it. But, first you have to tell me what might help slow these symptoms."

"Leila, you are kind to offer, but it is too late now. I am too weak."

"Do you think it would help to try and get your temperature down?"

Castiel sighed, "Perhaps. I suppose I might also try asking Leo to heal me. It'll be a bit like putting a Band-Aid on a broken limb, but it might help for a little while."

Leila nodded and got back to work, grabbing every ice pack Piper had in the freezer, wetting every rag she could find, and even washing out Cas's bucket so she could fill it with icy water. Using all the strength she had in her body, she sat him up and placed his feet in the container, and then covered his bare torso with cold packs and rags. Much to her surprise he didn't complain once.

Leila felt the sharp gaze of Castiel's blue eyes resting on her face as she took the last rag, and very gingerly began to wash his face, wiping his dark hair back from his sticky forehead. "How's that?" she asked.

"The cold feels… very good. Whether or not it will help me remains to be seen."

"Will you be okay for a sec? I'm going to go get one of the sisters to call Leo."

"I believe I will be okay," he replied, letting his head lean back, and his eyes shut.

"No coughing while I'm gone."

"I will do my best, though if it happens I am not sure I will be able to help it."

Leila let out a quiet laugh at Cas's seriousness, and then bounded up the stairs, first checking the attic to see if Phoebe had fallen asleep while working the night before. But, the highest floor of the manor was deserted, though it seemed Phoebe had done _some_ work, as the table in the middle of the room was filled with potions. Unsure of the middle-sister's whereabouts, Leila found herself knocking on Paige's door instead, somewhat relieved. Phoebe was nice enough, but Leila definitely felt more confident talking with her whitelighter.

There was some shuffling on the other side of the door, but instead of Paige's small figure appearing as the door opened, Leila was greeted by the tall, muscular, and _shirtless_ frame of Sam Winchester. "Leila, hey," he said, wiping exhaustion from his eyes. "Is everything okay?"

"Not exactly," Leila replied, slightly flustered, but doing her best to keep her composure as a medical professional by getting to the point. "I need Paige to call Leo down here. It's Cas."

Sam clenched his jaw tightly, and turned to wake Paige.

"I'll be downstairs, I don't want to leave him alone for too long," Leila called, already down the hall. Back in the living room, Cas was still in the same position he was when she had left, his face serene.

"Still okay?" Leila asked.

Castiel raised his head up lazily, "I think it might be helping with the fever."

"That's good! I have Paige calling for Leo right now."

"Thank you, Leila," the angel said, offering her his hand, though he couldn't pick it up off of the sofa. Carefully she took it, and was happy to feel that Cas's temperature had gone down enough that holding his hand was possible.

"I am very sorry," he spoke again, "For the way I treated you yesterday. I was much sicker than I thought, and you were right. I get so caught up in helping the brothers sometimes…"

"Shhh… It's okay, Cas. You care about them, it's understandable."

"But I should have listened."

"Yes, you should have," she agreed. "But, that's in the past. All we can do now is focus on getting you better today. We need to find your grace."

"It will be difficult to find, and I don't know how long I can really go on. Even if Leo heals me, I do not think I will be able to fight."

On cue, Leo orbed into the room with Chris in his arms, and Piper and Wyatt at his side. At the same time, Paige and Sam came bounding down the stairs, now fully clothed with looks of concern on both of their faces. Chris, taking in the sight of his old friend, squirmed in his father's arms until Leo put him down. Running over to Sam, he put his arms above his head, requesting to be picked up.

"Hey buddy," Sam said. "How's it going?"

Much to all of their surprise, Chris replied, saying, "I missed you, Sammy."

Sam smiled, "I missed you too, Chris."

Leila turned to Leo, reminding herself that they were back to help Cas, "Can you help him?"

"What's wrong with him?" Piper asked. "What happened?"

"I found him this morning covered in blood. I think he's been coughing it up all night. Not to mention he had a fever hotter than I have ever witnessed. That's what the rags are for."

Piper nodded, sending Wyatt over to his aunt, "Okay Leo, honey you do what you can for him. Leila, let's, you and I, re-wet some these wash cloths. We should try to keep him cold."

Leila nodded, and followed Piper into the kitchen. By the time they had covered Cas up once again, Leo had been working for a good ten minutes. His hands glowed gold as they moved from place to place on Castiel's body, and Leo's brow furrowed with concentration. When the energy finally stopped flowing, and Leo opened his eyes, he didn't look hopeful.

"Well?" was all Leila could think to ask.

"I'll let him tell you."

Cas opened his eyes as well, "He helped. It was not in vain, although what he could do was not much, and it is extremely temporary."

"The deterioration of his body is just happening too quickly," Leo explained. "He needs a permanent fix, and soon."

Leila nodded, "I'm going to take him to find his grace. That's the only thing that can save him now."

"The hell you are," a deep voice interrupted. Leila whirled around to see Dean descending the stairs behind a tired-looking Phoebe. "There is no way a little thing like you is taking him to find his grace. You'll never survive it."

"Good morning, Dean, Phoebe," Paige said, seeming very amused. "Did you two sleep well?"

Phoebe and Dean both ignored the comment.

"What makes you think you can help him? You're just a girl," Dean told her. "To find his grace you'll have to go up against one of the most dangerous angels of all time, capture him, and then make him tell you where it is. Does that sound easy to you?"

Leila scowled, "I may be just a _girl_ , but I have been through more than most humans this week. I'm a part of this now, and I want to help if I can."

"Well you can't."

"Dean," Cas interrupted, "She already has. If she hadn't found me this morning I might have been beyond help."

"You should give her a chance, Dean," Paige agreed. "She's right, she became a part of this when one of those black-eyed freaks stole her free will. You of all people should know what it's like to be thrust into something that seems completely and totally beyond your control. It makes you want to do whatever you can to regain even a shred of your own independence. She needs to do something to help."

"Yeah, that's exactly what we need, to drag another person into this mess. _My_ mess. No, Paige, she is not helping. If anything she should be going home with no recollection of what happened to her while she was here."

Leila's blood boiled at his words, and she could feel the defiance ready to spew out of her. "Well, fortunately _Dean,_ what I do is not up to you. I am an adult, and the more I hang around here watching demons be summoned, and spells cast, the more I come to the conclusion that there are things in this world I need to learn to protect myself from."

"So, what? You want to become a hunter now?" Dean snorted, as if it was the most ludicrous thing he had ever heard.

"As a matter of fact, yes. I think I do. And what better place to start than by going after a rogue angel?"

Dean's eyes bugged out of his head, and he turned to Sam, "Uh, bro you want to help me out here?"

Sam sighed, "Leila, the life of a hunter isn't a life I would choose for anyone. It's lonely and dangerous, and you have a life of your own that you could go back to. But if you have your heart set on it, I'm not going to stop you. We have runed handcuffs and angel blades in the trunk of the Impala, and you're welcome to them, although this might be a little much for your first case. You don't really know anything about fighting, or lore."

"I can fill her in on the lore," Cas offered. "When it comes time to make a deal with Metatron I will do that, also."

"I'll go with them too," Leo interjected. "I know a little about fighting and a lot about angels. Not to mention it might be a little easier on Cas if we orb from place to place. That way he doesn't have to exhaust himself while walking. You can call me if you need me."

"How are you going to find him?" Dean asked, still surly.

"Well, we could scry for him," Paige offered. "Do you guys have anything that belongs to him? Something personal."

"There is a book back at the bunker that he gave me," Castiel said.

"We'll orb back and get it right now," Sam said, grabbing Paige's hand. "Can we take Chris?"

Piper nodded, "Take Wyatt too, just there and back. No detours."

Paige smirked, "Never!" And then the four of them shimmered out of the room.

Dean watched with a sour look on his face. He turned to Leila, "You don't know what you're doing. You're turning down a path that you can't come back from. Once you get involved, once you see the monsters, you can never un-see them. You have to understand that the life of a hunter is short, lonely, and unforgiving. Take it from someone who knows, and don't do this to yourself, please."

Leila could see that he was being incredibly sincere, that he knew exactly what he was saying. That he had lived those words. For a moment, she contemplated taking it all back, and going home. She imagined herself back at school, training to be a nurse, living a normal life. But, then she flashed back, to a time when she was seeing through her own eyes, but doing the most unspeakable things, to a time when she had no control over herself, and she hardened her resolve.

"I'm sorry, Dean, and I hope you'll come to terms with it, because I think you might have a lot to teach me. I hope someday you'll realize why this is just something I have to do."

A few minutes later, Sam and Paige returned, and as the sisters scryed for Metatron, the three of them got geared up and ready to go. Taking one last look around at the faces she had become so accustomed to in the last few days, she grabbed Leo's hand, and then Castiel's. As she felt herself dematerialize she knew that she had made the right decision, and that, in a way, she was orbing right into a brand new life.

 **Thank you so much for reading! I know there were a few reviewers that were confused about my O/C's purpose in the story. She is destined for great things I promise, and I'm really having a great time writing her character. Rowena... that's a weird one, I know. But, I really hated her character development on the show, and wanted to do something more infinitely baddass with her. So stay tuned for that!**

 **As always, PLEASE REVIEW. I love to hear what you all are thinking. It really helps me think through what I am writing, and keeps the writer's block at bay!**

 **XOXO AryaUnderfoot**


	9. Son of a Witch

"So you're telling me you've never seen Titanic?" Paige shrieked.

Sam smiled, and Paige smiled back. He loved to see her smile, especially when it was at him.

"Never," he replied.

They were walking down the street, hand in hand, and Sam couldn't remember a time recently that he'd been so content with life. It was a gorgeous day. The sun was shining, and puffy white clouds dotted the blue sky. After they had returned from the bunker, Paige had suggested a quick walk since she knew they would be headed into a fight as soon as Crowley returned with an item of Rowena's. Sam would have done anything to just forget what was really going on, just for a little while, and Paige could give him that. He wondered if she knew just how grateful he was that he had met her.

"But, it's like the most famous movie ever! You know," she lowered her voice make it more seductive, "Paint me like one of your French girls, Jack."

Sam laughed nervously, "I know, but I grew up sort of unconventionally, in case you forgot. Not a lot of stability, many seedy motel rooms, usually with no TV, or a TV with like three channels. There wasn't a lot of time to watch Leo be "King of the World" in between monsters."

"What about when you went to college? No one made you watch it then? Like a girlfriend or something, because it is kind of the perfect date movie."

Sam shook his head, "My girlfriend in college was actually an avid horror movie fan. It made for some interesting discussion considering my upbringing. But, she hated romantic movies."

"Well, we'll have to watch it some night. It's my all-time favorite."

Sam squeezed her hand, "It's a date."

Paige smiled, and then her brow furrowed as she yelled ahead to her eldest nephew, "Hey Wyatt, don't get too far ahead of us, okay?"

Chris had wanted to come too, and had kicked and screamed when Piper had told him no. Sam knew she was scared for him, that she had been scared for both of her sons for much too long. She was a mother and the head of her family, through and through. Sam was sure she spent her days worrying about everyone she loved, just like Dean.

Wyatt, hopping over the cracks in the sidewalk on one foot, turned around and stuck his tongue out at his aunt, whose jaw immediately dropped, "You listen here young man, there are demons on the loose, and I might just let them have you if you don't—"

Paige cut herself off at the sound of Sam's laughter.

"No wonder they like you," she said. "You let them get away with everything!"

"Hey, someone's gotta be the good cop. It just so happens that good cop is my specialty."

Paige rolled her eyes, "Yes, I've noticed this. You and Dean are a regular duo…" she trailed off. "So… speaking of Dean, how do you think he's doing, I mean with Cas leaving and all? Is he going to be okay?"

Sam sighed, "You know, I honestly can't tell you. There isn't a lot I know about my brother anymore."

"I think it's safe to say you know more than anyone else."

"I wish I could get inside his head. Maybe then I could help him. I know he felt better once Cas was back in the game. I think he makes us feel safer. He's saved our skins so many times."

"How exactly did you guys wind up slumming it with an angel?"

"Well, Cas has really been doing most of the slumming. He lost his wings because of us, and still stays steadfast."

"But, how did he get so loyal? How did you guys even meet an angel?"

Sam thought about lying, because parts of the story were some of his weakest moments. But, Paige had been honest with him thus far. Who was he to lie to someone who had only ever cared about him?

"Well, he was actually sent to us. He saved Dean from hell, and was supposed to recruit us both to help stop the apocalypse."

"The apocalypse."

"Yeah. He needed Dean, because Dean is the true vessel of the archangel Michael. And he needed me because I'm the true vessel of the fallen angel Lucifer. We were supposed to have some kind of a show down and decide the fate of the world. Safe to say we didn't exactly go along with that plan…"

"Wait, rewind," Paige said, dropping his hand, " _You_ are the true vessel of _Lucifer_? Not Dean?"

"Hard to believe isn't it," Sam replied, beginning to regret his choice to tell Paige the truth.

"It's just with the whole Mark thing, and Dean being a demon…"

"The roles have definitely reversed, and actually I haven't ever really thought about that until now… I was almost as bad a few years back…"

"Were you ever a demon, like Dean was?"

Sam swallowed, "Not quite. I was… uh…"

"Sam," Paige grabbed his hand again, and squeezed hard, "Just tell me. I haven't shut you out yet, and between you, Dean, and your feathered friend, there's been a lot of cause."

"I was addicted to demon blood. It was like a drug to me, and it gave me certain powers that were pretty useful to me at the time."

"Powers like?"  
"I could see the future, exorcize demons with my mind... It doesn't really matter anymore. It's in the past. The point is I've been where Dean is at. My lowest point was… well it was bad. There was this she-demon, and I thought she cared about me, you know, I thought we had something real, and I let that cloud my judgement. By the time I realized she was no good, I was an addict and nothing else mattered. I know where Dean's head is, I just don't know how to help him. This isn't as easy as putting him through detox. We literally have no clue how to get rid of this thing."

"Have you thought about using witchcraft to remove it? I mean, there is a lot we can do with a few words."

"I know, I've seen it. I think you might be able to help quite honestly, but Dean is… reluctant. He doesn't like putting people in harm's way, not to mention he doesn't trust people as quickly as I do. Which, I suppose, is why I ended up in love with, and literally addicted to, a demon named Ruby, and he didn't."

"Aw," a silky smooth voice came from behind them. "In love? That's sweet, Sammy. I'd say I loved you too, but I think we both know my uses for you were far less… emotional."

Sam was sure he'd hallucinated her voice, it wouldn't have been the first time he heard someone that wasn't really there. But, when he turned, he came face to face with her. Ruby. Her appearance wasn't completely recognizable because she had a new vessel, though it looked eerily similar to the last one. But even so, he knew it was her. Everything else about her was the same. The way she stood, with her hands on her hips and head cocked to the right. The maniacal sparkle in her eye that said she was forever up to something, but he would never figure out what. Even her scent was the same, like burnt amber and ash. There was not a shadow of a doubt in his mind that it was Ruby, but how?

"Ruby?"

"Howdy there, Sammy," she blinked, her black eyes flicking in and out of view. "Long time, no see."

"How… How are you here? We _killed_ you."

"No, you _thought_ you killed me. There's always a loophole, sweetheart, and you can always leave it to me to find it. I'm nothing if not careful, unlike you and your… _friend_ here. Nice to see you again by the way."

Sam turned to Paige, and he could see by the paleness of her cheeks, and her wide-eyed expression, that this was not the first time she had come face to face with Ruby. Suddenly, everything came together in his mind. It had been Ruby who destroyed the Impala and sicced the hellhounds on Dean and Paige. That's why the attack had been so personal, why his brother had kept the true details of it hidden from Sam. Ruby knew them, knew their weaknesses, and Dean knew that Ruby was his.

"Damn it Dean," he cursed under his breath, and then thought back to what Ruby had just said about he a Paige not being careful. Whirling around he was brought face to face with six more she-demons, two of whom had their hands gripped tight, around a scared but silent Wyatt.

Paige shouted something about his force field, and Ruby began to laugh, "Do you really think we would have come back if we didn't have a way to get around that pesky little thing?"

The witch was having none of it, and yelled, "Wyatt!" in hopes that her nephew would materialize in her arms.

Ruby laughed again, "For an all-powerful witch, you sure don't catch on very quickly. Haven't you seen little Wyatt's new accessory? You're not getting to him using any kind of whitelighter voodoo, okay? So quit while you're behind."

Sam looked closer and saw that Wyatt's hands were bound by a pair of metal shackles that were heavily marked with some kind of runes. He could only guess that they were meant to stunt a whitelighter's powers. Sam could feel a mixture of fear and rage begin to form inside of him.

"Let him go, Ruby. He's just a little kid," Sam said defiantly, his fists clenched.

"And that makes a difference why?" she spat back. "I have my orders, and I plan to follow them."

Sam sneered, doing his best to mask his growing fear, "Typical Ruby, always following everyone else around, doing their bidding. First Lilith, now Rowena? I hate to break it to you _sweetheart_ but you're nothing but a glorified lap dog."

"You would know, wouldn't you Sammy? I bet you're just dying to run back to big brother right now, aren't you? I mean can you do anything on your own? You couldn't embrace your destiny when it really mattered, with one word from your precious Dean you couldn't close the gates of hell, and you were barely able to function after Dean's deal expired, at least until I showed up. I hate to break it to _you,_ but you're nothing but a dependent, spineless, little bitch."

"Well, someone's defensive," Paige said.

Ruby ignored her.

"Listen, Sammy," Ruby continued, "I'd love to stand here all day and argue with you, it really brings back some good memories, but I have a plan to implement. So let's get a move on, shall we?"

Sam scowled.

"Oh, that's right, you're coming too, and you aren't even going to argue with me about it."

"You're insane. I'm not going anywhere with you."

Ruby smiled then, a sweet smile that chilled Sam to the bone. "I think you forget how well I know you, Sam. I'm taking the kid, regardless of whether you come too. But, unless you've somehow become heartless in the time we've been apart, which I know isn't true, you're going to come with simply to keep an eye on the little one. Because you're _compassionate_ and _valiant,_ and because you care."

Sam said nothing.

"Well, in case that isn't enough, I came up with a backup plan."

Suddenly Paige's hands flew to her throat, choking noises escaping her mouth. Sam didn't even have to look at Ruby to know she was responsible. She had him backed up against a wall, and she knew it. Threatening loved ones was a sure fire way to get anyone to do your bidding, but Sam had always cared more about others than he had about his own well-being.

"Alright, I'll go with you. Just leave her alone."

"Fantastic," she said, letting Paige breathe again. "My next ploy was going to be to slit my wrist and drug you, but this was a lot… cleaner." Two more she-demons stepped forward and clapped a pair of silver shackles onto Sam's wrists, though he noticed that his were smooth, unmarked.

"As for you, little red," Ruby said, addressing Paige, "You tell those sisters of yours that if they ever want to see little Wyatt or Sam again, that they're going to have to do something for me."

"What do you want?" Paige asked through gritted teeth.

"A fair trade, Sam for Dean, and Wyatt for Chris. No harm will come to any of them if you cooperate, but if not… Well, let's just say that Sammy here might have to go through detox all over again, and you might just get to see Wyatt's inner demon emerge, if you catch my drift."

"How do we contact you?"

"Oh, my employer will be in touch," Ruby said with a quick wink. "Ladies, shall we?"

Sam looked to Paige, "Tell Dean I'm sorry, and don't let him give himself up! He'll try, but you have to find another way! Whatever Rowena needs them for… If Ruby is involved, it's bad."

Paige nodded, and began to say something in reply, but before Sam could hear a word of it, Ruby grabbed his arm and they blinked away. All of a sudden he and Wyatt were no longer standing in the streets of San Francisco. Instead, they were in what Sam could only assume was the Underworld. It was a cave-like place, dark, except for what was lit by the torches on the walls. The room they were in was large. In the center of it was a large cauldron filled to the top with some kind of shimmering liquid, and in the corner was a large, empty, cage.

The minute Wyatt realized that they were no longer near his home, he burst into tears, and began screaming for his mom. Sam wished with everything he had that he could get to the child and soothe him, but Ruby's grip was tight, and he didn't dare fight her.

"Lock 'em up, girls. And Sam, shut the kid up," Ruby ordered, shoving Sam toward her minions. Two of them grabbed him on either side and escorted him rather roughly to the cell in the corner, along with Wyatt. Once they were both locked inside, Sam kneeled down and looked the little boy over. Other than few red marks on his wrists from the handcuffs, and being incredibly terrified, he seemed okay, though he was still sobbing.

"Hey Wyatt," Sam said, attempting to calm him down. "Hey buddy, it's going to be okay. I'm here for you."

"I want to go home!" Wyatt yelled, clearly angry about the situation they were in.

"I know you do, and you will. You know your Mom and Dad and your Aunties, and both of our brothers are doing everything they can to get us out of here."

"My Mommy's going to blow that girl up! Just wait!"

Sam did his best not to laugh, since Wyatt was clearly still in distress, but it was hard not to find his five-year-old bravado funny. "I know she is. We're going to be okay, I promise, but you have to be brave. No more tears, it only makes them mad."

Wyatt wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, and nodded.

"Come here, bud," Sam said, opening his arms as best as he could to the child. Surprisingly, Wyatt stepped forward and accepted the embrace, his little face nuzzling into Sam's chest, taking comfort in the idea that he was not alone, and that Sam would keep him safe.

"I don't want them to have my brother. They can have me instead," Wyatt said quietly, and Sam wasn't sure if his reaction should be to laugh or to cry. That is exactly what he would have said about Dean in this situation, and what Dean would have said about him, if either of them were capable of being honest about their feelings.

Hugging the child a little tighter, Sam sighed, "No one's getting anyone, okay Wyatt? We're going to get out of here. _All_ of us. I promise."

* * *

Piper wasn't sure why she was doing laundry at a time like this. It was calming, she supposed, to just be, to not think about the evil that was once again plaguing the lives of her sisters and her children. There were definitely better things to do with her time, like making potions, or studying lore. But, really all she wanted to do was stand in the quiet of her bedroom, and fold laundry. Laundry was normal, safe, monotonous. Her laundry would not surprise her, or scare her. It would stay the same as it always had, and that was comforting.

She looked to Chris, who was playing with some Legos on the floor in the corner of the room, and her heart ached. Piper felt awful about not letting him go out with his brother, Sam, and Paige. But, how could she let him out of her sight when there were people after him? How could she ever let either one of her children do anything they wanted to do, when there were forces of evil at every turn waiting to take them captive?

"Hey Piper, can I talk to you?" a voice said from the doorway, interrupting Piper's thoughts. It was Phoebe, and she had a look on her face that Piper was all too familiar with. It was what she and Paige would have referred to, up until this point, as Phoebe's "Cole-face". Now, she supposed, it was her "Dean-face".

"What's up, sweetie?"

"Oh, I don't know. I guess this whole thing has just shaken me up a little bit," Phoebe replied, coming into the room and flopping down on her sister's bed. A bed, Piper mused, that her sister had become much too comfortable in lately.

"Which thing? The Rowena thing? The Leila thing? Or, could it possibly be the Dean thing?"

Phoebe sighed, "Yeah that last one is a doozy."

"That last one? Not the evil witch after my son, or the innocent we just sent on an impossible mission, no. Dean is the doozy."

"Yes? No. Look Piper, I'm just confused. I feel like I can trust Dean, but I don't know if I should. So much is happening so quickly and I'm just having a hard time seeing which way is up. Of course I'm worried about the boys, and Leila too, but something about that stupid hunter just takes up all of my thoughts. At first I thought it was because I wanted to help him, and I still do. Eventually that Mark is going to have to go. But, now… there's more. I think maybe he can help me too."

Piper sighed, wary of her next question. "Do you love him?"

Phoebe didn't say anything at first. "I know I could… It's all just happening so fast, and I guess he isn't exactly the ideal boyfriend."

"The anger issues are questionable."

"He's never gotten angry at me. Not since the first day we met."

"Still Phoebe, he's dangerous."

"Do you know how long it has been since I felt anything like I feel for him? I've been running around, searching for someone who can make me feel like life is more than writing an advice column and fighting demons all day. I've been walking through life, ever since Cole, with very little feeling, Piper. He reminds me what it is to be passionate and truly committed to a cause. He feels everything to such an extreme degree, it's almost inspiring."

Piper narrowed her eyes, "Just be careful that you aren't letting the Mark influence your feelings. We don't know anything about who Dean is without it. All of this passion and life you feel in him, might not truly be him. Don't let your empathic powers get in the way of thinking rationally about this."

Phoebe nodded, "You're right. I know you are. His emotions are so strong it's sometimes hard to tune them out."

"All you can do is be vigilant. I do think that all three of the men that have stumbled into our lives recently have honorable intentions, but there are always going to be things that are beyond their control."

"Especially for Dean. Do you think it's even possible for us to remove the Mark of Cain? Do we have that kind of cosmic power?"

"It's hard to say," Piper said, folding the last piece of clothing in the basket, and then placing her hands on her hips. "I guess we'll never know until we try. My only question is, once it's removed does it just go away? It sounds like the Mark has been passed down from person to person, or demon to demon, I suppose, for a long time. I mean, how come no one has gotten rid of it before?"

Phoebe was about to agree with her sister, when the bang of the front door opening caught her attention. "Piper! Dean! Anyone!" Paige's voice rang out through the house. Piper wasn't sure she had ever heard her little sister sound so scared. With one quick glance at Phoebe she grabbed Chris and the two of them were out the door.

In the living room, they found Dean on the couch next to Paige, trying to get her to tell him what was wrong, but she was crying too hard to answer. Phoebe, driven by her inner empath, and Piper driven by her inner mother, immediately went to their sister. As they crouched down in front of her, they each took one of her hands.

"Paige, honey," Piper started. "Tell us what is going on. Where is Sam?" As she said it, she realized that Wyatt was also nowhere to be seen, that Paige had returned from their walk alone.

"They… took them!" Paige said between hiccupped breaths, and Piper's stomach dropped.

"Who? Paige who took them," Piper asked frantically, practically shaking her sister.

"Piper, stop, you're just scaring her more," Phoebe told her.

"Where are they?" Dean asked, his voice low and demanding.

"Paige, honey, just calm down and tell us when you're ready. It's okay," Phoebe said soothingly. It wasn't like any of them to get so emotional in the face of danger, but the last week had been exhausting, Piper knew that. And, how could she possibly think clearly, when one of her children had been kidnapped?

"It was Ruby," Paige said, doing her best to breathe.

"Who?" Piper asked. At the same time Dean sprang up from the couch, fists clenched in rage.

"Dean, who is Ruby?" Piper demanded, recognizing his sudden burst of anger as a confirmation that he knew exactly who Paige was talking about.

"Piper, don't," Phoebe said under her breath, her eyes wide in fear.

"No, I don't care about his anger issues right now, Phoebe. Where is my son? Dean, what do you know?"

"She's a demon," Paige piped up, really starting to compose herself. "One of Rowena's. She and Sam have a past of sorts."

"How do you know that?"

"Sam told me about her just before she showed up. It was weird, it's like she knew that we were talking about her, like she was waiting around for that exact moment to strike. And… She's also the one who wrecked Dean's car and sent the hellhounds after us."

Piper whirled around and addressed Dean rather aggressively. "You _knew_ her? You told us that it wasn't anyone to be worried about, just some random demons!"

Dean didn't reply, in fact he didn't even turn around. He simply stood in the doorway that led from the living room to the foyer, shoulders tense, breath shallow, and the conflict within him extremely apparent. Phoebe put up a hand, indicating that she would try to talk to him, and that Piper should stay silent. It took everything within Piper to do as her sister asked.

Phoebe approached him, and placed one hand gently on Dean's shoulder. He winced, surprised at her touch, but he didn't pull away. She walked around him so they were face to face, her hand never breaking contact. All of a sudden, as if a switch had flipped, Dean relaxed. Piper frowned, _could Phoebe really have that much of an effect on him?_

"Talk to me," she said, and Piper could see the love in her sister's eyes. "Tell me who this Ruby is. How dangerous is she? How do we stop her?"

Dean bowed his head in shame, until his forehead nearly met Phoebe's. "I was just trying to protect Sam. I never thought—"

"I know, Dean," Phoebe said, taking both of his hands in hers. "But, now to protect him, you have to tell us the truth."

"Ruby is a demon we used to trust. We thought she was on our side, but she played us. She's extremely attracted to power, and a born henchman. If she is truly loyal to you, she'll do whatever it takes to make you happy. We thought we killed her, but it turns out we didn't. Now she's in league with Rowena, which probably means that whatever that witch's plan is, it goes way beyond plotting her revenge. Ruby wouldn't get involved unless it was something big."

"Would she hurt Wyatt?" Piper couldn't help but blurt out.

Dean turned to her this time, still clutching one of Phoebe's hands, "If it meant she could get her way, yes, she would."

Piper's heart began to beat faster, and she felt like her stomach was in her throat.

"But," Dean continued, "She and Sam have a past. If she was going to target one of them, I have to believe that going after him would be much more amusing for her."

"They were in love," Paige said, her voice devoid of emotion.

Piper turned back to her youngest sister, who was now sitting on the couch with her legs pulled into her chest, and was chewing her nails to bits.

"Sam was in love," Dean corrected. "Ruby was just using him. And in the end, I'm not sure if Sam was in love with Ruby or with her blood. He was an addict, Paige. He would have done anything to get a fix. Which is why I need to get to him as soon as possible."

"Where do you think Crowley is?" Piper asked. "Shouldn't he have been back by now?"

Dean looked at her grimly, "He hasn't really ever been trustworthy, or prompt for that matter. He may not be coming."

"How in the hell are we supposed to find them then?" Phoebe asked, her tone a little more on edge than Piper thought it should be.

"We could just orb down there and look for them, I suppose," Paige suggested.

"No way," Piper replied. "That could prove extremely dangerous, not to mention time consuming. Speaking of danger, I should probably send Chris up to the elders. Paige, would you?"

The redhead nodded, standing to take her nephew into her arms, glad to have something to do. As her sister orbed away, Piper thought fleetingly of calling for Leo, knowing that she could really use the emotional support that he could give her. But, he was off doing his part to fight this fight. Getting Castiel back in the game was extremely important, and Leila wouldn't survive without both of them.

Paige orbed back into the room, ready to get down to business, "Chris is fine. What's our next move?"

"Dean," Piper said, pushing thoughts of Leo to the back of her mind. "Call Crowley. We need to find Rowena, _now._ "

Dean nodded and started to pull his smart phone out of his pocket, but before he could even unlock it, a big puff of red smoke bloomed in the corner of the room. When it dissipated the three of them stood face to face with a tall, red-haired woman. She was dressed head-to-toe in black velvet and lace, her porcelain skin showing through in the most strategic places. Her eyes were bright green, and they glinted with the indication that she knew something you didn't, matching the all-knowing smirk on her face. Piper did not question for a moment, that they were meeting Rowena for the very first time.

"No need to find me, dearies," she winked, as ten or twelve, nameless she-demons appeared behind her. "Here I am."

They all stood in silence for a moment, none of them sure of what to do. Attack? Let her talk? But then, the moment passed and a seraph blade dropped down from the sleeve of Dean's flannel, while Piper's hands flew up with the intention to blow up whoever got in her way.

Paige shouted, "Vanquishing potions," and three of them appeared in her outstretched hand. Phoebe flung herself into the air, levitating with careful precision and with more focus than Piper had ever seen, a scowl fixed on her face.

"Paige!" her sister shouted, holding out a hand, ready to catch a potion and administer it to their target.

"Ah, ah, ah, dearies," Rowena warned, her Scottish accent thick and lilting. Piper watched Dean's grip on his blade tighten as Rowena's small demon army took a step in front of her.

"If something were to happen to me," she continued, "What would become of little Wyatt, or your precious Sammy? There are a handful of demons who know where they are, and I've cloaked them all with dark magick. They'll be impossible to find if you don't have my help."

Piper clenched her hands until they were tightly wound fists, knowing that any attempt at blowing up Rowena would be blocked by her minions anyway. Anger welled up inside of her, "Why are you after my son?" she shouted.

Rowena, who had had her eyes trained solely on Dean, slowly shifted them, without moving another muscle in her body, until her gaze landed on Piper. Then she looked up, and over, scanning the faces of each Charmed One, before bursting into a maniacal laugh.

"What's so funny?" Phoebe asked, through gritted teeth. Piper looked up and could practically see the rage coursing through her sister's body, every muscle in her body tense. She understood being angry, but Phoebe was taking it to a new level… A Dean-like level.

"The three of you, that's what's funny," Rowena cackled, distracting Piper from her realization. "You're the almighty Charmed Ones, and here you stand, beaten, all because of your _love_." She spat out the last word like it was poison. "Don't you understand that it only makes you _weak_? It's wretched to see such cosmic power go to waste."

"Listen, you hag, where's my brother?" Dean asked.

"And then there's you, Dean Winchester, so concerned about your brother, so… co-dependent, that you're willing to ruin the world you live in, just to keep him breathing. It's disgusting, but it's why I need you. Come with me, and Sam goes free. Bring me the other little runt, and you can have the blonde one back. It's not rocket science."

"You're not taking him anywhere, you bitch! You're not taking anyone anywhere!" Phoebe yelled.

Dean looked up at her frowning, and then looked back down at his arm, at the place where the Mark lay hidden under his flannel. "Phoebe," he began, "Why don't you come down from there?"

Phoebe whipped her head around so she could look at Dean, and Piper was surprised she didn't get whiplash because of it. Her brown eyes were wild, unblinking, and full of anger, "My powers, my prerogative," she snapped. "Piper, blow them up!"

"Phoebe, if I do that we'll never get Wyatt back. Honey, there's something wrong with you. Come down, please."

"There's nothing wrong with me. In fact, I feel good. I feel _powerful_. Too many people have been after us, for too long! I can't take it anymore, Piper. I can't take the people I love feeling so beaten down all of the time. I'm tired of demons and warlocks and stupid, evil witches, thinking they can control our lives!"

As Phoebe spoke, her voice rose in volume, until it was so loud it no longer seemed human. Piper looked on in terror, as Phoebe rose higher and higher overhead, until there was no longer anywhere for her to go. Suddenly, at the end of her tirade, she let out a blood curdling shriek, one so loud that all of the windows in the manor shattered simultaneously.

Piper only had to cover her ears for a few seconds, and then Phoebe's voice cut off abruptly. When Piper looked up, she saw her sister's eyes roll back in her head, and suddenly she was falling through the air. Dean lunged, but Paige beat him to it by orbing her sister to the couch, safe and sound.

Dean ran to Phoebe's side with worry in his wide, green eyes. He gave her a once over, making sure she was alright. She stirred, her head lolling back and forth, as if she had simply passed out. This seemed good enough for Dean, who squeezed her hand almost sadly, and then turned to Rowena. Piper could see very clearly that the fire had returned to his eyes. "Take me," he told the dark witch, "But, I want to see Sam _and_ Wyatt back here, safely, first."

"That's not the deal, dearie—"

"I don't give a damn about your deal. The other kid isn't here, and where he is, is a place you will _never_ be able to go. That is a fact. Make due with me, or you get nothing."

Dean's threat echoed through the house, and Piper was surprised that he would give himself up so easily. He looked formidable enough, and she knew that he wasn't bluffing. If she had been Rowena, she thought, she would accept his terms.

"Dean," Paige said, her voice soft, but strong, "Sam told me to tell you not to give yourself up, that he could handle himself. He said that we could find another way."

Dean scowled, "Do you see another way out of this, Paige?"

"We'll figure it out, I promise. Sam wouldn't want you to go, neither would Phoebe, and neither do I. Please, Dean," Paige pled. As much as Piper wanted to agree with Paige, she wanted her son back even more, to the point where she couldn't bring herself to ask Dean to stay.

"There will be no _figuring it out_ ," Rowena deadpanned. "No deal, Dean Winchester. Do you want to know why?"

Dean didn't reply.

"Because," she continued with no prompting, "I am the one with the leverage. Withholding one of the things I want, is only going to make me happier to use that leverage to my advantage. Ruby!"

All of a sudden, there was a pretty, brunette, she-demon next to the witch, and next to her, a bound and gagged Sam Winchester.

"Sam!" Paige and Dean yelled at the same time. Piper's hands flew up, ready to freeze the demons to get Sam back.

"Girls," Ruby said calmly to the other demons, and Piper found that her hands were glued to her side, and the rest of her was stiff as a board, the demons holding her in place. She looked around a realized that both Paige and Dean were glued to the spot as well, and Phoebe was still out cold.

"Now Ruby, tell these witches and hunters what exactly is going to happen if they do not do what is asked of them."

Ruby grinned, and Piper could see very clearly that she was enjoying every second of this entire situation. Without saying a word she took a dagger from the sheath at her side, and held it up to her wrist. Sam's eyes widened at this action, but Piper was unsure if it was in fear, or in longing.

"He's addicted to what runs through these veins," Ruby said, her voice gravelly. "If you don't give us what we have so politely asked for, Sam is going to go on one hell of a bender, and you're going to lose so much more than just a crazed hunter, and some wonder-kid. You're going to lose everything you've ever loved."

Piper strained against the force holding her mouth shut, and suddenly she felt the pressure on her jaw ease. "Dean said he would go, and we'll give you Chris," she said, and heard a whimper escape Sam's cloth-filled mouth. "We'll give him to you, but the only one that can get to him is my sister, the red-head over there. She has to orb up to the elders, which means you have to let her go."

Ruby's eyes narrowed, "They're up to something."

"How could we be?" Piper asked. "We haven't had time to formulate a plan, we haven't been able to talk to each other this entire time. Do you think I planned for my other sister to pass out, or to get caught in this trap? I'm giving up. I'm giving you what you want. Please, just bring Wyatt back to me."

Ruby turned to Rowena, "It's too easy. Don't listen to her."

But, Piper could see the want in Rowena's eyes, and that it was clouding her judgment, "Let her go. We have enough power here to thwart any kind of coup she might try to start. Keep her mouth shut until she leaves. Her voice makes her dangerous."

Paige's shoulders relaxed, and she glanced, just barely, at her oldest sister before orbing away. Piper could only hope that Paige would think on her feet. She knew that neither one of her sisters would ever believe that she would willingly give up either one of her children. She surveyed the room for any sign of a last ditch effort to get out of their predicament, and saw Sam jump slightly. His eyes began to look every which way until they locked on hers.

And then all hell broke loose. Paige orbed back into the room, her hands full of exorcism potions, she began throwing them one by one, hitting a few of her marks. What demons she didn't take care of, Sam did. Somehow, Paige had freed him from his bonds, and gotten Dean's angel blade into his hands. One after the other, the she-demons fell until Piper and Dean were freed from their bonds, able to help in the fight. Piper blew up a few of them, while Dean grabbed an extra angel blade from his boot and ran over to protect Phoebe's sleeping form.

Soon enough the only enemies left standing were Rowena and Ruby, the latter of whom had Sam's knife to her throat. "Bring us Wyatt, or I cut her throat," Sam threatened.

Rowena smirked, though you could tell her confidence had diminished significantly. "I'm not sure that would be wise, Samuel, what with your condition and all."

"I don't care what happens to me," Sam growled. "I'd go through twenty withdrawals to get that little boy back, and now, the leverage is on our side. What do you say Rowena? Do you really want to live without your right hand demon? I know how… helpful she can be."

A scowl crossed her face momentarily, showing everyone in the room that they had found a weak spot in her armor, but she did not reply. Instead, in the same puff of red smoke she had arrived in, Rowena took her leave, retreating to whatever part of hell she had come from.

"No!" Piper yelled, her heart felt like it was in agony as she realized that she still didn't have her son. "Come back, you bitch! Bring him back!"

"Piper," Paige began, encircling her sister in her arms, but Piper was frantic.

"He's just a little boy, and now he's all alone! He must be so scared," Piper felt tears spill down her cheeks, as she clung to her baby sister.

"Paige," Sam interrupted, grunting as his grip on Ruby began to slip, "Look, I'm sorry we couldn't get Wyatt back, but if we're going to, the first thing we need to do, is pump Ruby for information, and we can't do that here."

"Orb us back to the bunker," Dean chimed in. "We'll take care of it."

"We all need to go, actually," Sam said, "I'll explain everything once we get there, but—" Ruby kicked Sam in the shin, causing his grip on her to slip, but Dean was there in a second with his angel blade pointed squarely at her stomach.

"Don't try it, bitch," the hunter warned. Knowing she was caught between two Winchesters with nowhere to go, Ruby spat in Dean's face. Sam took hold of both of her arms again, his knife at her back, and nodded to Paige.

"Piper can you grab Phoebe?" Paige asked.

"You got this?" Dean asked Sam, who nodded in return.

Dean handed Piper his angel blade, hilt first, with a look in his eyes that read, _I'm trusting you with this, don't screw it up._ Piper did her best to hold the knife like she knew what she was doing, as Dean walked over to the couch, and smoothed Phoebe's short, brown hair back from her face before taking her up in his arms.

Paige glanced back at Piper, a look of worry in her eyes. For which reason, Piper could only guess. One of her children was missing, the other out of their immediate reach. Her husband was trekking cross country with a nurse and an angel getting into God knows what. Phoebe was down for the count because of, what Piper suspected to be, the development of a new power, and the man that she was falling in love with, while extremely valiant, was more dangerous than any of them wanted to admit to themselves. Her house was in shambles, and on top of all that, there was an extremely lethal demon in their custody that she was sure someone was going to have to torture for information.

As they orbed away from the manor, Piper thought of the road ahead, and wondered if she was truly ready to commit to it. She had been preaching all week that their two families needed to work together to defeat whatever they were facing. But, after all that had happened, all she wanted was to get her son back, and orb away until the fight was over. She was sure that they were headed into something much bigger than they knew. As her feet landed on the concrete floor of the bunker, Piper took a deep breath, knowing that turning back was simply wishful thinking. If she was going to make the world safe for her boys, this was one battle she wouldn't be able to watch from the sidelines.

 **Author's Note: BAM! Sorry it's been so long since I've posted a chapter but I hope this extra long one makes up for it! This is my favorite one so far, and there's so many places to go from here. Please let me know how you feel about it by REVIEWING! Your feedback means so much, and I'm even trying to incorporate a few of the ideas I've gotten in reviews, so thank you to all that have helped in that capacity!**

 **I can't wait for you guys to see what I have in store. It only gets more fun from here!**

 **XOXO AryaUnderfoot**


	10. If I Could Turn Back Time

_Twenty years into the future._

It was a cloudy night. There wasn't a star in the sky, and Chris Halliwell thought that was rather fitting. Since today marked the day that the world would end, it _should_ be a dark day, both figuratively and literally. He pushed his shaggy brown hair back from his face, and turned his hazel eyes upward. It would be one of the last times he would see the sky, before its all-encompassing darkness would come tumbling down around him and everyone he loved.

"Chris," a female voice came from behind him. He turned around and saw that the door to the manor, his childhood home, had opened without his knowledge. "Chris, come inside. There's no use sulking out here all alone."

"There's no use doing anything, Mel," he told his baby sister bluntly. "It's the end of times."

Taking a swig from the beer in his hand, he turned away from her, and returned his gaze to the starless sky. Melinda sighed, closing the door behind her and sitting down next to her brother.

"Which is exactly why you should come inside. Everyone is asking for you. Come be with your family."

"What family? Is Mom in there, or Dad? What about Wyatt?" Chris shook his head. "The people inside, they're your family, not mine."

"Don't say that."

"It's your husband in there, and your kids. You've been incredibly good to me, considering all that has happened, but you are the one who should go inside now. There isn't much time left."

Melinda shook her head, her long, wavy hair, identical in color to Chris's, bounced as she did so. "We have to do something. I can't just stand here and lose everything we've ever fought for, everything our family has ever fought for. Mom wouldn't have given up now, and neither would our aunts or uncles for that matter. We're Halliwells, saving the world is the family business."

"Do you think that if I could think of a single thing to do, I wouldn't do it, Melinda? I'm at the end of my rope. The underworld has pretty much taken over up here. People are dying, chaos is ensuing, the Power of Three no longer exists, and this goes way too far back for me to be able to change any of it now."

Melinda was quiet for a moment, and then she sprang up into a standing position, "That's it!"

"What's it?"

Her face was glowing the way it always did when she got an idea. It reminded Chris so much of their Aunt Paige.

"All these problems started way back before I was born, right?"

"Right… Where are you going with this, Mel?"

"You've gone back in time before, haven't you? You saved Wyatt from becoming evil by warning Mom and Dad."

Chris winced at the mention of his brother, "Yes, but—"

"So there! Just go back again, warn them, help them defeat this evil so the world doesn't have to end tonight."

"Melinda, time travel isn't exactly safe, I could end up messing things up more by going back!"

All of a sudden, his sister got very serious, "Chris, you're my big brother, and all I have left of the Halliwell line in this whole world. I love you more than I can say. But, there are people in this house that are counting on me, helpless people. Your nieces, think of them. Penelope, she's only three. She doesn't know what's happening. For her, it's just another day in the life. And Sammie is just a baby. She hasn't even gotten to eat solid food yet, or walk down the street, or tell anyone that she loves them. They have so much left to do for the world," she said, taking his hand. "Do it for them if you won't do it for me."

Chris sighed, saying nothing in return, but Melinda wasn't one to give up easily. She was a fighter, like their mother, and all the Halliwell women before her.

"We have lost so many people to this endless war. You could save us from losing any more, and maybe even get a few that we've lost back again. The least you can do is try."

They sat in silence for another moment, and then Chris squeezed his sister's hand. "Okay," he said, knowing that she was right. "I will do what I can, for Penny and Sammie, and you too."

Melinda looked at him, and Chris could see the love mixed with great sadness in her eyes, "Make sure you come back to us," she said, her breath catching. "It will all be for nothing if you don't."

He nodded, "Is the book in the attic?"

"Yes."

Taking one last swig of his beer, and one last look at the sky, Chris hugged his sister goodbye, and entered the manor, knowing full well that the faster he got to casting the time-traveling portal, the sooner he could return to his own time. He had to admit as he entered the attic, that there were certain things about time travel that made him a little more excited than apprehensive, but he couldn't let his feelings get in the way of his mission succeeding.

Quickly, he got to work, mixing the ingredients to specifications that he had nearly memorized over the years, though it had been long enough that he needed to reference the Book of Shadows a few times. Time travel was not something he took lightly, but he seemed to do a lot of it anyway. Soon he was finished, and the cauldron he had been using let out a big, billowing cloud of smoke. Chris bottled a bit of the substance, and shattered the bottle onto the floor in front of him. Out of the liquid rose a swirling blue pool of light. A portal, and it would only stay open for a short time.

"Say hi to Mom and Dad for me."

Chris turned to see Melinda standing in the doorway, little baby Samantha asleep in her arms. He knew then that this was the right thing to do, for all of them. He just wished that it didn't have to be him, that he could see his family through the end of the world, while someone else went and saved them from it.

"I will. Love you, Mellie."

"Love you too, Chrissie."

And then, he stepped through the portal.

* * *

 _Present Day_

Leila wasn't sure what was worse, that they hadn't found Cas's grace yet, or that it was probably her fault.

It was harder than she thought, getting used to all of this magic and hunting, and she was beginning to lose the belief she had found in herself such a short time ago. Leo, ever the patient whitelighter, and Cas, too incapacitated to complain about much, had been incredibly good to her since they had left the manor. But, it had been two days, and there had been no sign of Metatron, even though the sisters' scrying crystal put them practically on top of him. Since he was made mortal, he couldn't go anywhere that fast, especially when he didn't know that the three of them were on his trail. The real problem was that Leo and Leila had no clue where to begin looking for the Scribe of God, and Castiel had been unconscious for most of the trip, so he wasn't much help either.

They were in a small town in Washington State, Leila had forgotten the name of it, but it had rained constantly since they'd arrived. Between the weather and their lack of success, there wasn't much cause to be in a good mood, and Leila definitely wasn't. Leo had left her, and the sleeping angel in their motel room while he went to get food. Cas was passed out in one of the full sized beds, and Leila was searching the web for nearby locales where they might find their rogue angel. She was at a complete loss.

Sighing, the blonde hunter-in-training switched over to a page on angel lore. Sam had recommended a few websites to start her on her path to becoming a hunter, saying that they would tide her over until she could begin poring over the countless books on lore that the brothers and the Halliwells both owned. It was nice of him to be so supportive, especially when Dean was anything but. Leila knew that this life was no cake walk, but how could she go back to nursing school, and pretend like none of this existed? Her choice was not realistic or rational, but these demons had taken her free will, and she was never going to give that up again. The only thing she could do now, was be prepared, and then, when her time came, she could take as many of those black-eyed assholes with her as possible.

Leila sat back in her chair as she began to read about the creation of the archangels, and winced. Her back was still a little tender due to the fact that last night she had found the only tattoo parlor in town and gotten an anti-possession symbol inked onto her left shoulder. She wasn't taking any chances, and she figured the sooner she got one of those, the better.

"You know, the internet can't tell you about Michael's short fuse, or Gabriel's odd obsession with the Spice Girls," Castiel said, breaking Leila's focus. She turned to see him sitting up in bed, his tie and trench coat more disheveled than usual, and his face paler than it had been that morning. Immediately she felt her tough, moody outer shell melt away, replaced by the much more familiar role of nurse and caretaker.

"You shouldn't be up," she said, walking over to the bed and fluffing his pillows. "Come on, lay back down."

"Could you assist me in removing this jacket? I am extremely warm."

Gingerly, Leila helped the angel shrug out of his jacket, doing her best to avoid touching his skin, which was scalding hot again. She then removed his tie and collared shirt. As she laid him back against the pillows, she could feel her hand burning on the back of his neck, but her facial expression didn't even twitch.

"I'm going to go get some ice from the front desk, and then we are going to get you in a tub full of it," she informed him, not waiting for a reply as she left the room. When she returned, three large bags of ice in hand, Castiel was out cold. Sighing, Leila went and filled the tub in the bathroom with cold water, adding one bag of ice, and wondered if she would be able to wake him again.

"Castiel," she said, shaking him a bit. To her surprise his blue eyes fluttered open just slightly. "Come on, let's get you in the bath. It will make you feel much better."

The angel nodded, and slowly rose up. Throwing one bare arm around Leila's small, built frame for support, he hobbled over to the bathroom. Sitting him down on the edge of the tub, Leila helped him remove his trousers, one leg at a time, and then lowered him into the icy water. As she had expected, most of the ice melted when it came into contact with his scalding body. Pouring another bag of ice into the water, Castiel gasped, but it was obvious that he welcomed the shock as his body relaxed into the cold.

Leila damped a wash cloth, and began to blot at his face and forehead. Castiel's eyes shut, and fearing she might lose him to a deep sleep again, she shook him awake.

"Castiel, we've been here for two days and we have nothing. No leads on Metatron or your grace, and I think you can feel that you're running out of time. What can you give us on this angel? Can he be summoned? Where might he be? How can we defeat him?"

Castiel smiled, "Why are you so eager to help me?"

"Are you kidding?"

"I am nothing to you. Why would you want to help me?"

Leila rolled her eyes, "Cas, I know you're hurting, and that might make it harder to see the bigger picture, but this isn't exactly about you. It's about Chris and Dean, and the fact that there are monsters terrorizing the people who risked everything to save my life. _You_ just happen to be a critical player on their side, and with you out of commission, the chance that the sisters can succeed in defeating this evil is extremely diminished."

"So I am simply a tool in your quest to help the Charmed Ones."

"Castiel, don't be so… _human_ about this. Of course I don't want you to die. You're… my friend, and I care a lot about you. You just also happen to be an extremely powerful entity, with a lot of knowledge and insight on the things we are all up against."

"I apologize. I think my vessel's humanity is peeking through due to my lack of grace. I will try to keep it in check."

"Do what you need to, but I like this side of you. You're much more agreeable than you were a few days ago," she teased. "And anyway, I have to get you better so you can tell me the inside scoop on all of the angels. There's so much I want to know, like was Gabriel more of a Ginger or a Scary?"

Castiel laughed, and the sound of it took her off guard. She had never heard anything like it. It was as if he had never laughed before in his life. The sound was so pure and human, Leila couldn't help but laugh along with him.

"What's going on?" a voice said from behind them. Leila turned to see Leo, take-out in hand, standing in the doorway.

"Uh, we were just talking about one of Castiel's brothers," Leila replied, a grin still on her face.

"Okay, but why is Cas in a bathtub full of ice?"

"Oh! He has a fever again. Maybe you could do something about it? At least a little. Then I think the three of us need to have a serious talk about how to bag Metatron and convince him to give Castiel his grace. According to our hunter friends, it isn't going to be easy. Also, did you get fries?" Leila asked, her stomach rumbling. Leo smiled and handed her one of the fast food bags, which she promptly opened and got to work devouring its contents.

"You're going to need help that I can't give you," Castiel said. "Angelic help."

"Do you know of any angels we can trust?" Leo asked. "From what I've heard, they can be difficult to keep on your side."

Castiel nodded, "Many of the truer ones have been lost to us, but some still remain. Pray to Hannah, mention that I need her help, she should come."

Leila held out her hand to the ailing angel, "Pray with me." Gingerly, Castiel took her hand, and Leo took the other. They bowed their heads. "We pray now to the angel Hannah for help and guidance on our journey. There is a friend here who needs your assistance, Hannah, who may die if you do not answer our call. Please, I beg of you, as a human, healer, and hunter, hear our prayer."

There was silence then, but Leila refused to open her eyes. She felt Castiel's grip tighten, and heard him whisper, "Hannah," with such intensity and focus she could almost feel the word emanate through the room. She did not get a chance to decide if he was doing something angelic to his voice, or if it was simply her imagination, because at that moment the sound of fluttering wings filled the room.

"Castiel," a female voice said, and Leila's eyes shot open.

"Hannah," Cas replied weakly.

When Leila turned, she came face to face with who she assumed was Hannah. Her vessel's features were delicate, framed by dark curls and blunt bangs. She was small, but it was clear she was powerful. Her presence demanded attention, even though her eyes said there was nothing to fear. She made Leila uneasy, but if she could help Castiel, that didn't really matter.

"It's good to see you," Cas told his friend. "Though I wish it were under better circumstances."

Hannah smiled a pained smile, "Your grace…"

"Is fading," Leo finished for her. "Hello Hannah."

"Hello Leo," Hannah bowed her head in acknowledgment of the whitelighter. "How long would you wager he has?"  
"Not long. I've been healing him, but it only does so much. If I was to guess, I'd say he has about two days of juice left in his borrowed grace, and that's generous."

"I'm not sure what you expect me to do."

"Help us find Metatron," Leila interjected. "Help us trick him into giving us the location of Cas's actual grace."

Hannah turned to her, "You are Leila, are you not?"

"Yes…" Leila trailed off, wondering why this stranger knew anything about her.

"You prayed to me, as a human, a healer, and a _hunter_ , isn't that right?"

"Again, yes, but what does that have to do with—"  
"Have you told her?" Hannah asked, whipping around to face Leo.

"No, we thought it would be best to wait, due to the trauma she has undergone over the last week. She was possessed, and that kind of thing doesn't just leave you."

"But she's becoming a hunter? That is not a path she can go down if she is to become—"

"Um, excuse me," Leila interjected, " _She_ is right here, and she's getting a little sick of being talked about like she isn't. Leo, what is going on?"  
Leo sighed, "The elders didn't want to overwhelm you after everything you've been through this past week, but there is a reason that Paige has been assigned to be your whitelighter. Normal everyday people don't just get a guardian angel. That right is reserved mostly for light witches… and for future whitelighters."

Leila's eyebrows shot up, "So that means I'm going to be a…"  
"A whitelighter, yes," Hannah replied. "But, if you continue down the path you are on, the chances of that diminish severely."

"Why?"

"Because whitelighters are a force that work exclusively for others and on the side of good. Hunters are not."

There was more than a hint of disdain in Hannah's voice as she spoke of hunters, and Leila could tell she was not a fan. She could feel the anger gather in her stomach, but she did her best not to explode at the angel they so desperately needed help from. "Excuse me? Tell that to Sam and Dean Winchester who have saved my life on more than one occasion."

"Sam and Dean Winchester are the perfect example of what hunters truly are: selfish and vengeful. Given the choice between the world and each other, Sam and Dean would choose each other every time, and then watch the world burn."

"Well my cause is to the greater good, okay? It was when I chose to become a nurse, and it is now. Just because I am friends with a few hunters you don't like, who by the way are pretty chummy with _your_ friend Castiel over here, doesn't mean my life's mission has changed in any way. I am not a Winchester, I'm Leila Marie Perkins, and I'll continue to be the woman I was raised to be regardless of what _they_ do."

Leila took a huge breath. She hadn't meant to go on a rant, especially since they needed Hannah so much. Meekly, she looked up at the angel, who surprisingly was not staring at her with all the fury of heaven in her eyes. Instead she looked impressed.

"I—I'm sorry," Leila stammered.

"Do not apologize Leila Marie Perkins. It appears I could have underestimated you. I am still wary of your chosen path, but perhaps you could be a different kind of hunter. I really do hope so, for your sake."

The foreboding way in which Hannah said those words sent a shiver down Leila's spine. Was the life of a hunter truly so amoral? She knew in her heart that she had started out on this path as a vendetta against the demons that had taken over her body, and bent her consciousness to their will, but was that really the only reason she was doing this? She decided then and there that her priority as a hunter should be the good of the many, not her own personal revenge.

"So you'll help us," Leila managed to squeak out.

"Of course I will. Castiel has done more than enough for me in his time, I 'owe him one', as your kind says. And besides, I already know the location of Metatron."

"You do?" Leo said, astonished.

"He is never far off the heavenly radar. We have been keeping a close watch on him, even though he is mortal now. Finding him will not be hard, it will be the keeping, and the convincing that will take more work. Do any of you have a plan?"

Leila had been thinking on this for some time, and she knew that to get someone to work with you, you needed leverage. Sam and Dean had taught her that. "What is the thing Metatron wants most?"

Hannah looked at her in a calculating way, hesitating before she answered, "To be let back into heaven, I suppose."

"Okay, how can we convince him that if he leads us to Castiel's grace, we will let him back into heaven?"

"He will not trust any of us. He knows where our loyalties lie," Castiel pointed out.

"However, he also knows that many angels in heaven wish to keep you from ever entering as well, Castiel," said Hannah.

Leo's brow furrowed, "What are you getting at, Hannah?"  
"Perhaps if we could convince Metatron that we want Castiel's grace, not to give it to him, but to _keep_ him from it, he would be more inclined to help us as well."

"We still need someone that he will believe hates Castiel enough, and he knows that you and I are his friends."

"That is true," Hannah said, turning to look at Leila. "But, he does not know anything about her."

"Me?" Leila asked.

"Now that Metatron is mortal, he will not be able to tell who is an angel, and who is not. You could pose as an angel, one who was allied with Raphael after the apocalypse. It is well known that any friend of Raphael is an enemy of Castiel."

"You want me to pose as an angel?" Leila asked. "No way! What if he wants proof? What if I act too human?"

"I understand that there are a lot of things that could go wrong, but you may be Castiel's only hope Leila. In fact, you could pose as the angel Leilah. At least then you will be able to respond to your own name. I can tell you a few other things you may need to know, but then it will be up to you to ascertain the location of Castiel's grace."

"What do I do once I've figured that out? He'll expect me to do something for him that I obviously can't. Then what?"

"Leave that to me," Hannah replied. "I will not be far from you. Leo, you should stay with Castiel, in case his condition worsens faster than we anticipated it would. I will go alert the rest of heaven to our mission here. Hunter, prepare yourself."

And with that, Hannah blinked away once more. Leila took a deep breath, really contemplating what she had just gotten herself into.

"Leila," Cas said, his voice weak, "You don't have to do this. If something happened to you all because you were trying to help me… I don't know if I could forgive myself."

"But, this is bigger than you Cas, and it's bigger than me, too. This is for all of the marbles, the whole world, because if Piper loses her son, or if Sam loses Dean, the whole world loses some of the greatest good it has ever known. They need your help to fight this unimaginable evil, I'm just doing my part to make sure you get there."

Castiel nodded, but didn't say more.

"Hey, at least I'll really be able to stick it to Dean once we get back," Leila said, trying her best to lighten the mood. "He thought I couldn't deal with all this angel stuff. Well, as it turns out, I get to be one. So that ought to show him!"

Cas smiled a bit, before a fit of coughing overtook him.

"He's getting worse," Leo said stepping forward to inspect the angel. "You need to get going."

Right on cue, Hannah blinked into the room. "The other angels have given us their blessing, and I have devised the location of Metatron. We should go as soon as possible."

Leila turned back to Cas, "Don't die."

"Same to you," he replied.

There wasn't much else to say, so Leila took ahold of Hannah's hand and said, "Alright, let's go catch us a Scribe of God."

 **A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I know I took a little detour from all of the hype at the manor, but I gotta give my man Cas some love! Also, let me know what you all think of me adding Future Chris into the mix. He was always one of my favorites on the show, and I think his return will have an interesting impact on Sam!**

 **As always, PLEASE REVIEW! I love hearing your ideas and comments! Thank you so much for continuing to read!**

 **XOXO AryaUnderfoot**


	11. Back From The Future

"Come on Ruby," Sam said. "What do you have to lose? Rowena clearly doesn't care about you. She barely blinked before she left you with us. There's no reason to be such a loyalist now. Just tell me what she wants with my brother, and we can start negotiating your release."

Ruby snorted, "Save the good cop routine, Sam. It's boring."

After a brief struggle, Sam and Dean had gotten Ruby settled into the back room of the bunker. It was a dark, empty space that was completely soundproof and had every kind of demon warding known to man, lining its walls. On the floor in the middle of the room was a giant, red devil's trap with a chair set in it. Ruby sat there now, a perpetual scowl on her face, her wrists shackled with runed cuffs, similar to the ones Wyatt had been wearing when Sam had last seen him.

 _Wyatt._ Sam's jaw clenched at the thought of the young witch. There was no time to lose in implementing Wyatt's rescue. After all, Sam knew exactly which part of the Underworld he was being held in. But, they had all decided, minus Piper, that it was important to at least attempt to get the whole story before they dove into another ambush.

Sam smirked right back at the she-demon, which apparently took her a little off-guard. "Do you know why I stick so closely to my good cop routine?"

Ruby's eyes narrowed, but she didn't reply.

"No? Huh, I thought you knew everything about me. The truth is, I never give up the good cop routine, because I don't have to. See, I have an overabundance of bad cop types in my life, and _they_ do the dirty work for me."

As Sam said this, both Dean and Piper appeared out of opposite corners of the room. They walked toward Ruby like a lion stalking its prey, cold and calculating. It had been difficult to convince Piper that torture might be the only way to get any information out of Ruby, and Sam still wasn't sure she was completely convinced. But, she was angry. She wanted to get to her son as soon as she could, so she had come up with a few ideas of her own.

"Hit me with your best shot, Winchester," Ruby said to Dean. "I'll never talk."

"We'll see about that. Won't we Piper?" Dean said, walking behind the demon, and letting the witch step up to face her enemy.

Ruby laughed, "Oh please, what is this pansy, baby-loving, poser of a—Ah!"

The she-demon was cut off as Piper raised one hand and blew up the air directly above her right arm, causing Ruby to yell out in pain as a burn mark appeared on her forearm.

"That's about enough out of you, missy," Piper scolded. "The only thing I want to hear come out of your mouth, from now on, is the truth. Got it?"

"Ooh, you talk a big talk, but what are you going to do if I don't follow the rules of your little preschool class? I'm not a child, you can't scold me into submission—Agh!"

Another burn mark appeared, this time on Ruby's chest, and Piper stooped down until her face was inches from that of the she-demon. "Be. Quiet. Truthfully, I'm not one for violence, I like to avoid it when I can. But, you have messed with my family and my friends, and now I'm angry. So, we can do this the easy way, and you can tell me what you know about Rowena's plans for Dean and Chris, or I can burn you until you're nice and crispy, and then force a truth potion down your throat. Either way, you're going to give me the information I want."

Sam, continuing his role as the good cop, butted in, "We'll give you a little time to weigh your options here in the dark, but don't take too long. I think Piper might be a little anxious."

As the three of them walked away Piper flicked her fingers once more over her shoulder, smirking when Ruby cried out in pain. Sam gave the she-demon one last calculating look before sliding two layers of shelving back into place and closing the steel plated door to the back room, leaving her to contemplate her fate.

"Do you think she'll tell us what we want to know?" Piper asked.

"Never can tell, but you were pretty damn convincing in there, Halliwell," Dean said.

"Don't sound so surprised," Piper replied with a small smile. "We may have had a rough start with these black-eyed jerks, but demon fighting isn't only a Winchester specialty. It's our destiny to fight the supernatural crap that plagues this world, and now that we have our bearings, and a couple of allies, we're planning to come out on top."

"You got that right," a weak voice came from further down the hall.

Turning, Sam saw Paige coming toward them, a weak, but defiant looking Phoebe leaning on her for support. Out of the corner of his eye he saw his brother twitch, obviously wanting to go to her, but holding himself back. Sam wasn't sure what was happening, but clearly something about Phoebe's outburst had spooked Dean.

Piper walked brusquely over to her sisters. "How are you feeling, Phoebs?"

"Right as rain. I just want to get back on my feet and keep fighting. Did you get anything out of Ruby?"

Piper hesitated, unsure of how 'right' her sister really was, "Phoebe… How much do you remember of the fight at the manor?"  
"I remember that bitch Rowena threatening us and talking to us like we're children. After that it's a little bit fuzzy. All I know is she pissed me off, and according to Paige we still don't have Wyatt, so I'm ready to kick some witchy ass."

Sam did his best not to burst out laughing as Phoebe spoke. Not because he didn't take her seriously, or think that she couldn't kick anyone's ass that she wanted to, but because as she said it, her head was lolling onto Paige's shoulder. Clearly she was still drained from her earlier output of energy.

"Uh huh," Piper nodded, "There's a little bit of that story missing, honey."

"What part?" Phoebe breathed.

"How about the part where you developed a new power, turned into a floating, screaming, banshee rage monster, and collapsed?"

Phoebe's head shot up.

"Yeah," Paige backed up her eldest sister, "It was not your most… _composed_ moment."

"Why don't we get her back lying down?" Piper asked.

Sam and Dean had opened up three extra bedrooms in the bunker for the sisters. There were plenty of rooms in the old Men of Letter's headquarters that were never used. In fact, Sam was sure he hadn't been in some of them since the brothers had first moved in. Thankfully the sisters weren't picky about dusting off a few shelves, and waiting for the brothers to wash their beds' musty sheets.

They brought Phoebe back into her room, which was located between Dean and Piper's respective abodes. As she lay her head down, it was clear that she wasn't going to be conscious for much longer, but she wasn't going to sleep without answers.

"I have a new power?" she asked immediately, looking to Piper.

"I can't be sure, but it seems like the only explanation for your sudden burst of uncontrollable anger."

"So I can… What do you think I can do exactly?"

"You absorbed my anger," Dean said from the doorway, clearly keeping his distance from the witch. "When you were consoling me about Sam, I felt so calm all of a sudden, so normal. I knew something was wrong, but I chalked it up to…"

"To what?" Phoebe prompted.

Dean shook his head, "It's not important."

There was an awkward tension left hanging in the air, and Sam watched as Phoebe studied Dean's face. She looked at him with a mixture of confusion and longing, while Dean's eyes stayed trained primarily on the floor, embarrassed by whatever he had almost said.

"In any case," Piper said, breaking the silence, "I think Dean is right. Your empathic power is clearly expanding. Not only can you sense the emotional energy of others, but you can absorb it and convert that power into your own. It's not something I've ever heard of happening to an empath, but even the Elders say that your power is so beyond anything they've ever seen—"

"So I absorbed his anger, and then what?"

Piper was silent for a beat, "It ate you alive."

"It was just too much for you to handle right away," Paige said, attempting to soften her sister's blow. "Your power needs time to mature, and you need time to learn how to control it."

Phoebe was silent. She looked up at Dean again, pleading with him to look her in the eyes and give her some kind of comfort. Dean continued to look at the floor, his expression serene, but his eyes burning with anger.

Sam, sensing the tension in the room between both lovers and sisters, attempted to change the subject. "Why don't you lay down and rest for a little while Phoebs? We'll let you know if Ruby gives us any useful information. I think we're going to need you and your new power to take Rowena down, no matter what she's planning." He winked at the witch, and she smiled gratefully.

"Who knows," Phoebe said, settling down into her pillows, "With a little practice, absorbing Dean's anger could be a benefit not only to our cause, but to his as well."

Phoebe didn't have time to feel the tension heighten in the room in response to her words, because just as soon as she was settled into her mattress, she was asleep. Sam looked from Piper to Dean and knew that there was plenty of guilt and blame to be doled out, but he also knew that now was not the time for negativity. They needed to be united to face the coming storm.

Clearing his throat, Sam attempted to change the subject, "Why don't we go into the other room and talk about exactly what I saw in the underworld?"

"Sounds good," Paige agreed after a few seconds of silence that contained minimal eye-contact and little to no movement. When Dean and Piper both conceded and exited the room, Sam silently thanked the witch with a smile. Instead of responding with a smile of her own, Paige shifted her eyes away from him and proceeded to the door. Quickly Sam followed, rushing to close the door to Phoebe's room in order to catch the youngest Halliwell by the hand.

"Hey, is everything okay?" he asked her.

She sighed, and he knew immediately what was going to come next. "It's just… I'm trying to be okay with all of this, with my newest charge jetting off with some angel on a dangerous hunting trip, with my sister developing new powers, with your brother being inherently evil, however magically induced said evil may be. I'm doing my best to process everything about Rowena, and Ruby…"

"Paige—"

"I just didn't realize how easy it would be for her to influence your emotions again. One paper cut and you're…"

"She isn't going to get to me."

"You were pretty willing back at the manor, with your ' _I'd go through twenty withdrawals'_ and all of that macho bravado."

"I just meant I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get Wyatt back!"

" _Is_ that really what you meant? I know how addiction works. I've had alcoholic friends. When you're addicted to something, no matter how horrible it is for you, you'll do whatever you can to get your hands on it. People trying to stay clean don't usually bring their drug of choice into their home, or keep it locked up in a nearby room."

"Paige, she's leverage. There was no other motivation behind bringing her here, you have to believe me."

"Do I? Sam, I barely know you. We have some kind of connection, I'll admit that, and I care about you, but your past is hard to get past. I don't know you well enough to know your intentions."

"I don't buy that, Paige. You know that I care about Chris and Wyatt immensely, but if you doubt that, you have to know that I have done my best for my entire life to work on the side of good, just like you and your sisters. People and circumstances have sometimes gotten in my way, that's true, but my first priority is and will always be to saving people from the monsters of this world."

Paige was quiet, and hoping she wouldn't recoil from his touch Sam stepped toward her and placed a hand on her cheek. "Don't run away from this just because you're scared, please. It has been a long time since I've felt this way about anyone. I certainly never felt anything this genuine toward _Ruby_. I know I'm a lot to take in, but I'm an open book. Don't shut me out."

Taking a couple steps back, Paige exhaled, as if she'd been holding her breath in reaction to his proximity. For the first time since they had arrived at the bunker she looked Sam square in the eyes, but before she could say anything in reply, Dean's voice echoed down the hall.

"Hey! Quit smooching and get in here, this case is kind of time-sensitive don't you think?"

Sam shot his brother a glare, as Paige turned and walked away. He followed her into the bunker's main room. Piper stood in the middle of the open space, arms crossed, "Nice of you two to join us."

"Sorry," Paige replied, her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes down.

Piper frowned, but didn't remark on Paige's strange behavior. Instead she turned to Sam, "Tell us what you know. Why was it so important we leave the manor?"

"When Ruby took Wyatt and me to the Underworld she locked us in a cell in the corner of a pretty large cave," Sam began. "In the middle of the cave there was a large cauldron, and at first I thought it probably belonged to Rowena, but I was wrong. Another woman walked in with her, acting like she owned the joint, and as it turns out that part of the Underworld does actually belong to her. After straining for some time to hear their conversation, I found out that she's something called a Seer."

Paige and Piper both gasped audibly, and Sam knew he had hit a nerve. "What do you know?" he asked.

"We've encountered a Seer before," Piper replied, doing her best not to dwell on those memories. "She and Phoebe were once… close, though this is most definitely not the same one."

"There's more than one?" Dean asked.

"We've known three or four. All seers are vastly different, with powers ranging from pyrokenesis to teleportation to resurrection, and everything in between. The only powers they generally have in common are immortality and premonition, though the future comes to them in many different ways. It sounds like this one uses a pool to scry into the future."

"Like Kyra," Paige said.

Piper nodded.

"She _was_ using it to see the future," Sam said, "To the exact time that you were rallying forces against Rowena. That's why all of the demons have been appearing at such strategic moments, like when we're discussing them, or when they knew we would be taken off guard. It's like they know right when to show up because they literally _do_. This Seer can tell Rowena exactly when to strike. That's why I knew we needed to get somewhere warded, at least to figure out our next move. This Seer won't be able to scry for us here."

In an instant a panicked look crossed Piper's face, "So you're telling me that my five-year-old is down in the Underworld with a demon whose power appears to be failing her? Do you know how pissed she's going to be? What's to say she's not going to take out her frustrations on him?"

"Piper, don't panic, she needs him alive," Dean tried, but Piper was already in a frenzy that there was no coming back from.

"No. No way. Paige we're going back, come on. We need the Book of Shadows, some vanquishing potions and one ticket to the Underworld, stat."

"Piper—" Sam started.

"We can ward the house with spells, place crystals, she's not getting her foresight anywhere near my home. Now that we know exactly what we're dealing with, Paige and I can work it out."

"What about Phoebe? And Ruby, we can't just leave her here!"

Piper considered this for a moment. Could they fight this seer without the Power of Three? She wasn't sure, but she did know that her son was alone, fighting for his life, and she couldn't just stand by and let that happen.

"I'll stay with them," Dean said suddenly.

"Dean…" Sam hesitated, and his brother interrupted him before he could continue.

"Sammy, let me do this. It'll be good to get you away from Ruby, meanwhile I'll keep pumping her for information. Not to mention it's probably not a good idea for me to go anywhere near Rowena or her lackeys anytime soon, what with the whole her wanting me for a prisoner and all. I'll be safer here."

"And Phoebe?" Paige asked.

Dean sighed, "I'll look after her, but I'll keep my distance. There will be no repeats of what happened during our last fight, trust me."

The sisters exchanged a look that apparently meant they agreed that this was a good idea, because afterward they simply grabbed hands and motioned for his brother to join them. Sam, on the other hand, did not look so convinced.

"Dean are you sure you can handle yourself? I can stay—"

"No, look, they're going to need all of the help they can get, and you're the only person that can get them to the right part of the Underworld, anyway. I'll be fine, Sammy. Go save the kid."

Sam nodded, looking at his big brother like he was making some huge sacrifice, when in actuality, Dean felt like he was taking the easy way out. Babysitting a witch and torturing a demon who he hated with every part of his being wasn't exactly fighting the good fight, but he knew it was necessary. And anyway, he had grand plans for Ruby that he didn't need Sammy around to witness.

He watched as his brother and the sisters shimmered out of view, and then marched over to a supply closet that the two of them always kept locked. Inside was a safe with many precious supernatural items in it, some that the Men of Letters had collected over centuries, and some more recently added by Sam and Dean themselves. Off to the side was a mini fridge, and inside it were two large, plastic containers, like the ones restaurants used to empty their grease traps at the end of the night. But, instead of grease, they were filled almost entirely with blood, one for Sam, and one for Dean. Blood was used so often in rituals, that keeping a store of it on hand was useful. Rather than cutting open a hand or a forearm each time a spell or summoning called for it, they could use the stuff they had been setting aside for months at a time. It had been Sam's idea, and much as Dean hated to admit it, it was one of his better ones.

Lifting the container that held his blood out of the fridge, and relocking the storeroom behind him, he made his way back to Ruby. After grabbing a package of syringes from the shelves that acted as a fourth wall to the prison chamber, he slid them aside, revealing Ruby slumped over in the middle of a devil's trap, just as they had left her. Her head lifted, and Dean could see that a faint smirk still remained on her face, but not for long.

"Ruby, Ruby, Ruby…" he said, plopping the container of blood down in front of her, "How about a taste of your own medicine?"

* * *

Chris materialized exactly where he had planned, which was truly a surprise, considering that time portals could be extremely temperamental. He was about as likely to end up halfway across the country in this time, as he was to end up in the same place he had just been in his own time. But then, he had a lot of practice with these sorts of things. The manor attic looked nearly the same as he had left it, and he had to marvel for a moment at how little it had changed.

In the middle of the room sat a table, filled with vials and potion ingredients, and off to the side was the podium where the Book of Shadows sat, though it was a bit thinner than he remembered. Boxes lined the walls, filled with old clothes, family heirlooms, and things that probably should have been given away years ago, but instead, due to lack of time and an abundance of demonic distractions, they had simply piled up. Many of the boxes he saw here, were still in the attic in his time, and he made a note to self that if and when he got back there, he and Melinda needed to go through them immediately.

Sun streamed through the stained glass window that Chris had watched his father reassemble after countless battles in the attic, and for a moment he sat there reveling in the light, feeling it's warmth on his face. It had been a long time since he had felt the sun's glow. Then, reality set in. He was back, in a time when his family was alive, and he needed to stop the impending apocalypse. There was no time to lose. Leaving the attic, he realized that the house was extremely quiet. Upon further inspection he realized that the house was completely devoid of people.

Unsure of what to do next, Chris wandered into the kitchen and opened the fridge. His eyes widened at the spread before him. Clearly, his mom had been stress cooking, because the fridge and freezer were both filled to the brim with food. He spied an entire pecan pie buried under a mountain of various baked goods, and felt his mouth water. Hard as Melinda had tried, she was nowhere near the cook his mother had been, and he had dreamed about this very pie on more than one occasion. Grabbing a fork, he made himself at home at the kitchen table, devouring the pie and then a plateful of his mother's famous garlic roasted chicken. He was about to start in on a container of cheesy potato casserole when he suddenly heard some voices coming from the living room.

At first none of them sounded familiar, putting Chris on the defensive. He knew what his aunts and parents had been up against at this point in time, and he also knew they tended to come and go as they deemed fit. Grabbing his lucky angel blade out of his inside coat pocket, the familiar weight it bore against his chest was temporarily relieved. He crept over to the door that led into the dining room to take a closer listen.

"It doesn't appear that anyone is home," a monotone male voice, completely unfamiliar to Chris, stated.

"I hope everyone is alright," a soft female voice replied, and though her voice triggered something in his mind, but he couldn't put a finger on exactly where it fit into his memory.

"I'm sure they're fine," someone else replied. Chris felt his heart stop. This was a voice he knew that he could never mistake. His suspicions were only confirmed as that voice continued, "They probably got a lead on Rowena. Maybe I should try sensing for them."

Taking a deep breath, Chris tucked his angel blade away and pushed through the door, finding himself face to face with three people standing in the foyer. One of them, the one with the voice he had not recognized at all, was a tall, dark man in a trench coat. He was standing next to a petite, curvy blonde, and for Chris, seeing her confirmed that at some point he had known her, though he still could not place the memory in context. Lastly, standing across from the others, with his back to Chris, was the person whose voice he knew almost as well as his own. The voice that belonged to his father, Leo Wyatt.

The two strangers froze, and Leo sensed the change in their demeanor. Chris held his breath as his father turned to face him, afraid that once their eyes met he'd wake up from another one of his insanely vivid dreams.

"Chris?" his father exhaled, his eyes widening beyond measure.

"Hey Dad," he said, shoving his hands deep into his pockets and turning his gaze to the floor shyly. For a moment the two of them just stood there, Chris barely making eye contact with his father. Then, at lightning speed, Leo moved to take Chris into his arms, hugging his son tightly to him. Chris did everything he could not to choke up as he held onto his Dad. They had always had a complicated relationship, and while it may have only been a few years since his father had last seen him, or at least the non-toddler version of him, it had been much longer than that for Chris. In this moment, Chris felt as though he should never let go, that if they could just stay here in this embrace, the future would work itself out.

Then, the moment passed. Chris and Leo took a step back, each of them still marveling at the sight of the other. "What are you doing here?" Leo asked finally.

Chris swallowed, "Uh, it's a long story. Where's mom?"

"I don't know. We've been on our own mission for a while, I haven't been in contact with her or your aunts. I expected her to be here myself."

"Hang on," the familiar blonde chimed in, "Who is this?" She looked confused and astonished all at once, and Chris couldn't help but notice the cute way her forehead wrinkled up at the sight of the two of them.

"Leila, Castiel, this is Chris, my son."

"Is this the same Chris that appeared to Sam as a toddler a few weeks ago?" Castiel asked, trying to understand.

"He's from the future," Leila said, her gaze concentrated on his face, like she was trying to see into him. "Piper said that he had come back once, to help Wyatt."

"That's right," Leo replied. "Chris this is Leila. She's a hunter and a future whitelighter, one of Paige's charges, not to mention a good friend."

Leila smiled a sweet, but surprised smile at Leo's mention of their friendship, leading Chris to believe that they hadn't known each other for very long. He extended a hand to her. She took it and said, "It's really incredible to meet you, Chris, though technically we've already met."

"It's nice to meet you too," he said, flushing slightly at the feeling of her hand in his, and the realization that perhaps she was familiar because he had met her as a child. That would certainly explain why he couldn't quite place the memory of her.

"And this," Leo continued, moving on to the dark-haired man, "Is Castiel. He is an angel, and also someone that I'm glad to call a friend."

"Hello Chris," Castiel said.

"Hi," Chris replied, quickly turning to his father, "He's a…"

"An angel, yes."

"Like with wings and a halo, and created by God? Like that kind of an angel?" he asked incredulously.

"We actually don't have halos in the way humans picture them. They manifest as more of a blinding, effervescent light that emanates from the very core of our celestial being than a little ring around our heads," Castiel interjected, his long-winded explanation causing Leila to giggle. "But, everything else you said is relatively accurate."

Chris took a deep breath, taking in Castiel's words, "I'm sorry, I know you existed once it's just…"

"It's just what, Chris?" Leo asked, sensing an air of distress in his son's voice.

"Just… in my time, your kind is extinct."

 **A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this update! Thank you for reading! And, as always, PLEASE REVIEW. I love feedback! I have some really exciting ideas coming up in this fic, and input from readers never goes amiss! I cannot wait to get to work on the next few chapters, and with winter break coming up... expect more story!**

 **XOXO, AryaUnderfoot**


	12. Nobody Puts Ruby in the Corner

Piper, Sam and Paige orbed into the living room of the manor, and immediately Piper set them all to work. "Paige, show Sam where the crystals are and then place them around the house accordingly. You know how to do it. I'm going to go check our stock of potions…" she said, being careful with her tone of voice and wording. If this seer was peeping in on them, she didn't want to put her on high alert.

Walking to the stairs, she was sure she saw something or someone enter the kitchen, just out of the corner of her eye. Quietly, Piper walked over to the swinging door that led to the kitchen, hands up and ready to blow the intruder to pieces. After a quick, silent count to three, she pushed through the door. Without thinking she unleashed her power, simply startled by the presence of this person in her home, not taking time to register the comfort with which he was leaning up against the countertop, or the familiar way his dark, shaggy hair hung in his green eyes. Those eyes…

"Ah!" Chris shouted, as the bowl of cereal he had been holding shattered into a million pieces, milk and Lucky Charms splattering everywhere, though mainly on him. "What the hell, Mom?"

Piper dropped her hands, not believing her eyes. "Chris?"

Her son smiled, "Hey."

"Hey?" Piper asked incredulously. "You scared me half to death, and all you have to say is hey?"

"Sorry?" Chris tried.

Piper smiled, "That's more like it. Come here." She held out her arms to her youngest son, not caring that he was covered in cereal, and hugged him tight. "What are you doing here, sweetheart?" she asked before pulling away from him.

Chris sighed as he began to unbutton his soggy flannel, "It's complicated, Mom… I—"

"Hold that thought!" Piper interrupted, remembering that there could be unwanted ears listening to their conversation.

"We should get everyone together before I divulge, anyway," Chris suggested. "Are Aunt Paige and Aunt Phoebe with you?"

"Yes to the Paige part. Phoebe isn't doing so hot right now, I left her in Kansas," Piper said, beginning to root through the cupboards for potion ingredients.

"Did you say Kansas?"

"Uh, yeah… With Dean Winchester, at his… home? It's more like a library crossed with a bomb shelter, but I guess they live there."

"Dean… You've met Sam and Dean already?" Chris asked, sounding a bit panicked.

Piper stopped what she was doing, "You know them?"

Chris looked uncomfortable, "I know _of_ them. I can't talk about the future, Mom. At least not most of it, you know that. You're just further along in the sequence of events to come than I realized… What's the date?"

"July 20th," Piper replied, "Chris what is going on? Wait, don't answer that!"

Instead of asking her why she kept shushing him, Chris turned, yelling, "Dad!" as he walked out of the kitchen.

"Dad?" Piper asked. "Your father is here?"

"Piper?" she heard her husband's voice call from upstairs.

"Leo!" she felt herself relax substantially as he came into view. When he took her into his arms, she felt like a weight had been temporarily lifted from her shoulders. Here he was, her protector and guiding light, safe and sound. She kissed him fiercely, reveling in temporary happiness, not allowing herself to think about the fact that Leo had no idea what had happened in the last week, and that she would have to be the one to explain it to him.

"You're here," she said, as they pulled apart.

"I am. I'm here, and I'm okay. So are Leila and Castiel by the way, though they just stepped out to get some air."

"You got his grace back."

"We did, or should I say Leila did. She was brilliant, I wish you could have seen her."

"I can't wait to hear all about it, honey, but right now…"

"There's a lot going on, as I understand it. Sam and Paige are setting up demon-alarms all over the house."

Piper nodded, "And I can't imagine our son coming back from the future means anything good either. Not that I'm not happy to see you, sweetie."

Chris nodded, but remained serious, "Uh, Dad, did you… Did you say Sam is here?"

Just as Leo was about to answer, Sam and Paige came bounding down the stairs carrying as many crystals as they possibly could. "Upstairs is all demon-proofed," Paige said, "No black-eyed crazies or red-headed hags are getting in here without us knowing it."

"Okay, do this floor, and then we need to cast a safety spell," Piper told her.

"A safety spell? Isn't that for casting people _out_ of the house?"

"I'm going to tweak it. Do the crystals. Oh, and say hi to your nephew."

"What?" Paige asked, looking around the room. Her eyes finally settled on Chris leaning up against the wall a ways away, his arms crossed over his chest, and his eyes trained on the floor in typical Chris fashion. "Holy hell, what are you doing here, kid?" Paige smiled widely as she went to embrace her grown-up nephew. The two of them had always had a special bond, what with them both being half-witch, half-whitelighter.

"Hey, Aunt Paige," Chris said, unable to help the smile that came at the sight of her. "It's a long story, that I think I am supposed to wait to tell until a particular spell has been cast."

"Ah," Paige said, realizing what he meant, "Well, then we'd better get a move on with these crystals, Sam… Oh…"

Throughout the entirety of Paige and Chris's exchange, Sam had been standing next to Piper and Leo, looking extremely confused, and Paige had finally realized it. "Sam," she started, "This is… Chris."

"Chris?" Sam said, and Piper could tell he did not understand.

She did her best to clarify. "Remember when I told you we had already seen the man he would grow to be? This is him."

Realization crossed Sam's face and he turned to Chris with wide-eyes, unsure of what to say. For a moment the two of them just stood there. Piper studied Chris's face, and in it she saw recognition. Chris knew who Sam was. In what capacity, she was unsure, but his expression also held an air of pain and disbelief. Before she could process what that might mean, Chris crossed the room and threw his arms around Sam, hugging him tightly. Surprised at first, it took Sam a moment to return the gesture, his face eventually breaking into a kind smile.

As Chris pulled away, his face beaming, Sam said, "It's really great to meet you, man."

Chris nodded, and his next words came out shakily, "Yeah, uh, you too."

Neither one of them broke eye contact for a long while nor was Piper sure they ever would have if Paige hadn't spoken up. "Alright Sam, let's make with the crystals. You two can figure out how weird your relationship to one another is later."

Sam laughed awkwardly before following her into the living room, leaving Chris and his parents alone again.

"Chris, are you okay?" Leo asked.

"I'm… I didn't think I'd ever see him again. I guess I didn't know if I'd ever see any of you again, but I didn't expect…" Chris trailed off, and Piper gestured to Leo, her way of telling him not to push the subject.

"Listen honey, I want to hear all about the future you've come to prevent but your brother is in trouble, and we need to get to work on the rescuing."

Immediately Leo panicked, "Where's Wyatt? What happened?"

"Give us a few minutes to secure the place, and then I'll answer all of your questions, I promise," she said, squeezing her husband's hand tightly.

Piper eyed her youngest son warily before motioning for him to follow her to the attic. The Book of Shadows stood where it always did, and Piper was instantly comforted by that fact. Opening to the page with instructions on how to perform a safety spell, a spell meant to dispel any unwanted beings from their home, she began to scribble down possible alternatives. Her idea was that instead of dispelling evil, they could ward the manor to keep evil from entering.

"This should work," she told Chris as Paige entered the room. "Would you mind standing in for your aunt?"

Chris nodded, and Piper held out the paper for the other witches to read. "That's perfect, Piper," Paige praised. "Let's do this."

The three of them linked hands as Leo and Sam stopped to stand in the attic doorway. They chanted, " _When in the circle that is home, safety's gone and evils roam. Protect all within these walls, save this family now heed our call."_ A circle of light emanated from the group and grew until it left the room and covered the manor in its entirety. Sam's mouth fell open, causing Chris to burst into a fit of almost childlike laughter.

Piper stood tall, smug as ever after the success of her altered spell. "That should protect us from any prying eyes, and dispel any unwanted visitors, at least for the time being," she stated.

"Where's Wyatt?" Leo demanded immediately.

Sam turned and met the whitelighters eyes, "He's been captured by Rowena, who's trying to barter his life for Chris's. She had me too, trying to get to Dean, but she showed a little too much of her hand, and your family rescued me."

"You did a lot of the rescuing yourself," Piper admitted.

"So why haven't you rescued our son yet?" Leo yelled, fire in his eyes.

"It's not that simple, unfortunately," Sam replied.

"Well, excuse me but by the looks of you standing here in my house, it is that simple! You know where he is, don't you?"

"Yes, but—"

"No buts!" Leo cried, his voice becoming increasingly fainter with helplessness as the moments passed.

"Leo, honey," Piper stepped forward and grabbed her husband's hands, "I want Wyatt back safely as much as you do, and we are going to get him back, I promise. But, we have no idea what we're walking into in the Underworld. My sisters and the boys have made me see that we need to formulate a plan first, and that requires knowing what Rowena and her cronies are after."

"I can help with that," Chris said.

"Is that what you came back to tell us?" Leo asked.

"More or less. I expect Rowena has been skulking around hell for some time now, unbeknownst to your friend Crowley," Chris started, directing his comment about the King of Hell at Sam. "She's turning every demon she can to her side with a plan that will change the face of your world forever."

"What's she planning?" Sam asked, clearly not fazed by Chris's words.

"The end of the world, or at least the start of it. She has been having visions, or they've been coming to her, I'm not sure how that all works."

"Visions of what?"

"Lucifer. He comes to her, boasting, asking her to spring him out of his cage and rule as his Queen, after they take over the world, of course."

Sam swallowed, a look of nervousness crossing his face, "And how exactly are you or Dean a part in that plan?"

"It's going to take some freaky dark magic to break Lucifer out of hell, and dark magic often uses extremes, good and evil, light and dark. She has this book, this tome that Lucifer led her to. It's older than any magic I've ever been exposed to, beginning of time type stuff. She's going to use the spells in there to carry out her plot. From there, Lucifer has plans beyond my knowledge, but I do know that it won't end well. It's something similar to hell on Earth."

Piper studied her son's face. Chris, of her two sons, had always been the quiet, calculating one. It wasn't that he was timid, in fact he had more bravery and heart in him than anyone she had ever known, but he was often content to stand to the side, to let his brother or his father do all the talking. However, when the people he loved were threatened, there was no stopping him. She had seen that when he had first come back to them, doing everything he could to save Wyatt, and by proxy the world as he knew it. Now, he had that same look in his eyes that Piper had seen before, and she wondered who he was protecting this time.

"What can we do?" Paige asked. "How do we stop this from happening?"

"I think we need to vanquish her, first and foremost," Chris replied. "We can deal with her faction of demons afterward, but this all starts with Rowena. There aren't many powerful enough to raise Lucifer, so getting her out of the picture is important."

"That's easier said than done," Sam said. "She's protected, not only by her demon cronies, but by her own powerful magic. How do we even get close enough to gank her, much less _do it_ when we get there?"

"Well, first thing's first, we're going to need Aunt Phoebe. There isn't much the power of three can't handle, and with the added help of the hunters, an angel, a whitelighter, and an extra witch, I think we have a good chance."

"I'll go check on her," Paige said.

"I'll come too," Sam offered.

Paige held up a hand to halt him, "I'll be fine on my own, but thanks anyway." She orbed out of the room, leaving an awkward silence behind.

"What did you do?" Chris asked, grinning.

Sam's brow furrowed, but a smirk played at his lips, "Not sure where to begin with that question. Your past comes back to bite you sometimes, or in my case, to devour you."

"Hey," Chris stepped forward and clapped his friend on the back, "It's going to be alright. She'll cool off. She usually does."

Sam squinted at the time-traveler, trying to figure out what his words truly meant. Meanwhile Piper and Leo, once again, studied the men in front of them. The two of them, with their shaggy brown hair and flannel shirts, could be brothers. And in a way, that was how they were acting. The instant camaraderie was like two old friends who had simply picked up where they had left off, wherever that may be. There was a lot Chris wasn't saying, and Piper knew he probably wouldn't let on about most of it, but that didn't stop her from being curious about his relationship to the hunter.

"Well," she said, interrupting Chris and Sam's banter, "I'm going to peruse the Book of Shadows for any spells that might help us. You three should really start thinking about how we can get close to Rowena."

"I have an idea about that," Chris began, but was interrupted by a scream from outside.

"That sounded like Leila," Leo said charging down the stairs. The whitelighter flung the door open to reveal Castiel holding an unconscious Leila in his arms, her head lolling from side to side.

"What happened?" Piper asked.

"I am not sure," Castiel replied. "She opened the door to the manor and was flung back by some invisible force. She hit her head on the sidewalk here, rather hard."

Leo put his hands on her forehead, golden light emanating from them as he healed the young hunter-in-training. She breathed in deeply as she came to, immediately confused as to why she was on the ground.

"It must have been the spell, Mom," Chris suggested, offering Leila his hand and pulling her to her feet. "It must only protect those that were in the house when we cast it."

"That's going to be a problem…" Piper trailed off, slipping into deep thought.

"Are you okay?" Chris asked.

"Yeah, I'll be alright. Thank you," Leila replied, acutely aware of the fact that her hand was still in Chris's.

"You're welcome!" Leo interjected, causing the two of them to break apart, both blushing.

"Thank you, Leo."

"Sure thing," he said, eyes flicking back and forth between his son, and his family's newest charge, a knowing smile on his face.

"I think I've got it," Piper said, turning around to face the house. " _In this home our safety lay, for our allies, here and away. Protect all who mean us well, and modify our safety spell._ " A great burst of light left Piper's hands, and she looked pleased with herself. "Castiel, give it a try."

The angel walked up the steps, and took a tentative step over the threshold. Nothing happened. "I think it is safe now." Sam clapped his friend on the back in greeting, and the two of them entered the house, each of them filling the other in on everything that had happened in the week they had been separated.

Leila looked unconvinced, but Chris and Leo coaxed her back into the house. Once inside she announced quite loudly that she needed a drink, and walked to the kitchen.

"I don't have much in the way of alcohol," Piper said. But Leila seemed unconcerned as she walked over to the sink, and flung open the cabinet under it. Inside sat a half-full bottle of Jack Daniels whiskey.

"Where did that come from?" Leo questioned his wife, who looked as confused as he did.

"It's Dean's," Leila replied, looking for a glass. "He's been stashing it here for a while, I'm surprised you didn't notice during one of your manic cleaning fits."

Chris snorted and was immediately hushed by a glare from his mother.

"Anyone else?" Leila asked, pulling some glasses out of the cupboard.

"None for me," Leo said.

"Or I," Castiel agreed, as he and Sam entered the room.

"I think I'll just have a beer," the youngest Winchester replied, heading for the fridge.

"I'll have some," Piper said, after very little deliberation. She wasn't usually a drinker of anything as hard as whiskey, but circumstances lately had been a little rougher than usual, so she thought she'd give it a try.

"Uh, Mom, are you sure?" Chris cautioned.

"It's been a long few weeks, honey. I deserve a little drink."

"Um, yeah, of course you deserve it, but I still think you should probably abstain for a while."

"Chris, I'm an adult just like you and this little one," Piper said, referring to Leila, who was even younger than her youngest, time-traveling son. "If I want a drink, I'll have a drink, and that's final."

"But, Mom—"

"Chris what is the big deal, here?"

"I just think you should wait a while before you drink again…"

"Well, how long do you suggest I wait? Until the world is _officially_ ending?"

"No, I was thinking maybe just nine months!" Chris exploded, leaving only silence behind.

Piper's mouth fell open as she processed her son's words. Was he saying, what she thought he was saying? Immediately her hands went to her belly, her protective nature taking over. She looked at Leo, who had a rather blank look on his face, until his gaze met hers. He smiled, then, in a way he had only smiled twice before.

"Chris, do you mean…?" Piper couldn't bring herself to say it, couldn't bring herself to processes what this might mean for her and her family, but still her tone was full of hope.

"As it happens, you have my baby sister in there, and I'm extremely protective of her. So let's just cool it with the whiskey, huh?"

Piper let out something between a laugh and a sob, and hugged her son tightly, before turning to kiss her husband. "A little sister!"

"Congratulations, Piper, Leo," Leila said, putting Dean's whiskey back where she found it, unopened. "I think that was the kind of news we all needed to hear right now."

"Wait until I tell my sisters, they've been begging me for a niece!" Piper exclaimed.

More congratulations, hugs, and smiles were shared, but after a few minutes, the true weight of this news came crashing down on Piper. She had another child now, another being that Rowena, or any other foe for that matter, could use against her and her family.

"We have to keep this a secret for as long as we can," she blurted. "How far along am I Chris?"

"Barely even a month," he replied, looking confused.

"Then there's no chance my body will give me away… So until we're done with this Lucifer business, this news doesn't leave this room," Piper said definitively.

"But, Piper, what about Phoebe and Paige?" Sam asked.

"No," Piper held up a hand. "The less of us that know about my daughter, the less danger she'll be in. My sisters will understand that in the end. With my sons being preyed upon already, I can't take any chances with my little girl."

Leo nodded, "Oftentimes unborn witches are even more powerful than normal, because they have a connection to their parent's magic. You should've seen Wyatt in the womb. As much as it pains me to keep this from people we love, I agree with my wife."

"You can't tell the elders either."

Leo's demeanor switched on a dime at her words. "Piper, even if they don't already know, it's my duty—"

"Leo."

With one word and a very pointed look, Piper silenced her husband. He had to know how difficult this was for her. To have her joy stifled by evil wasn't a new feeling, but she never got used to putting her life on hold for people that were trying to hurt her family. In a way it was like letting them have a small victory over her, and there was nothing she hated more.

"Look, let's not dwell on it for now," Piper said, her hands still cradling her flat stomach. "Chris, you had an idea about how to get close to Rowena. What did you have in mind?"

Chris looked at the floor, and then sheepishly over at his mother, "Well, I can tell you right away, you're not going to like it."

* * *

Paige orbed into the common room of the bunker, that familiar tug at her belly button dissipating as she took in the empty room around her. There were books strewn across tables, and empty beer bottles littering the room. One wall was covered entirely in newspaper clippings and headlines from what the witch could only assume were old cases. Whether they were laid out as trophies, or as reminders that not everything is solvable, she was unsure. Dean was nowhere to be found.

She took a few steps, the clacking noise her heeled boots made, echoed through the room. Quickly she made her way to Phoebe's room. She had only been gone a few hours, and when she cracked the door to her sister's room, she found Phoebe still fast asleep, her frame heavy with exhaustion. Closing the door, she knew that Dean must still be in the bunker, because he would never willingly leave her sister there alone. No matter how afraid he was, of what was going on between the two of them, she knew that his need to be near her, to care for her, would always outweigh that fear.

Paige thought of Sam then, and felt her heartbeat quicken. She hated the way she felt about him, if only because it made her feel selfish. Telling him that she was afraid that his relationship with Ruby might escalate, was only half of the story. She couldn't bring herself to tell him the whole truth, because it hurt her to even think about it. Each day since the arrival of the Winchesters, Paige had watched her sisters fall into their own respective downward spirals. Piper was losing her children, was stressed all of the time, and could barely stop barking orders at everyone. Her sister was in full on oldest child mode, taking care of everyone but herself, worrying herself into oblivion, and doing absolutely nothing to hold herself together. And Phoebe… Paige stared at the door to the middle Halliwell's room and flashed back to her banshee moment, full of so much pain and tired agony. Although they had been augmented by a new, developing power, Phoebe's emotions had been real. Meanwhile, what had little baby Paige been doing? Wooing and screwing a hot hunter.

Paige felt her face get hot, and she did her best to push her guilt back down inside her. She was doing what she could to help her sisters now, and Sam was not going to be a distraction for her any longer. Returning to her search for a very different Winchester, Paige figured that, as silent as the bunker was, he could only be one of two places. After checking his bedroom, she made her way to the soundproof torture chamber that they were currently holding her black-eyed arch-nemesis in. When Paige entered the room, she was completely unprepared for the scene that lay before her.

Ruby, who had been previously tied to a chair, now lay flat on her stomach in the center of the giant, red devils trap that was painted in the middle of the floor. Her red leather jacket had been removed, leaving her arms and shoulders bare, her dark hair was tangled and grimy, concealing her face. Pools of sweat soaked through the she-demon's white tank top, and blood, an extreme amount of it, covered the floor surrounding her. This was all extremely alarming, but none of that was as surprising as the sounds emanating from Ruby's heaving form. Her sobs echoed through the dark, empty room. They wracked her body. To an untrained eye, she could have been having convulsions, but Paige new the difference. This wasn't unconscious movement. This was pure grief, pain, sadness to the greatest degree possible. Paige found herself question whether demons could even feel all of that.

Dean stood off to the side, arms folded, expression blank, unaware that Paige had entered the room. "Feeling something now, bitch?" the hunter growled, his voice as unsympathetic as his appearance. The witch took a few steps forward, allowing the Winchester to register her presence. A look of surprise followed by guilt crossed his face, but it quickly became hard and emotionless once again.

"What are you doing, Dean?" Paige asked tentatively, sure that this was more than just the average demon torture.

Dean's eyes stayed trained on Ruby as he replied, "Giving her a taste of her own medicine, so to speak."

Paige surveyed the room, and noticed a bucket sitting on a table nearby. It was filled with a dark liquid, and surrounded by an open package of medical syringes, its contents strewn haphazardly around the table. _A taste of her own medicine._ He had been injecting her with blood, Paige realized.

"Is that… human?" she asked regarding the bucket of blood.

Dean nodded, "It's mine, blessed by a priest. Sammy and I found out a while back that if you inject a demon with enough consecrated human blood, you can cure them."

"Cure them?"

"Make them human again."

"Why would you want to make Ruby human?

"I wouldn't, but the more injections they get, the more human they become. It takes eight doses to fully cure her, and I've administered seven. Number six is when human emotion usually starts to present itself, isn't that right Ruby? Why don't you tell the nice witch how you're feeling right now?"

Ruby shook as she lifted her head and turned to look at Paige. She had a large gash on her forehead, possibly from slamming her own face into the ground. The wound was bleeding profusely, and streams of blood were pouring down her forehead, nose, and cheeks. Her expression was one of pure agony. Paige felt her stomach churn, and for a moment she thought she was going to be sick.

"Please," the demon begged. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry… I'm sorry…"

Ruby's head fell hard onto the concrete as though she could no longer hold it up. Dean walked to the bucket of blood, readying another syringe. "Remorse, that's what she's feeling. Guilt, sadness, realization of all of the grief and pain she has caused so many. Her severed soul is being stitched back together, and trust me when I say, there is no greater pain. She'll tell us anything we want to know because she wants what all humans want… forgiveness, redemption, and love. She wants to atone."

Paige studied the hunter as he spoke, and she knew that every word out of his mouth was genuine, and came, not only from a place of knowledge, but from a place of experience. There was an indescribable amount of sadness on his face, and in that moment, Paige finally understood Phoebe's need to continuously try and fix this broken, tortured man. The thought crossed her mind that she would really like to know Dean Winchester without the Mark of Cain, and that when all was said and done she would like to do her part to help rid him of it.

Dean turned, the emotion he had shown dissipating as quickly as it had come, and snarled, "Let's give her the opportunity, shall we?"

The hunter took a step forward, and Paige followed suit, stopping him in his tracks. "She may be feeling remorse, but she's also in pain, and she is completely and utterly alone in that pain. You've done your job well, but look at her. Look at all of that blood. Curing her… I have a feeling it could kill her."

Dean scowled, "And that is bad because…"

"You said it yourself, we need information from her," Paige swallowed, placing her hand on Dean's and taking the syringe from him. "Let me do this, please. For my sister, for Piper."

Dean scrutinized her face for a moment, as if he was trying to see into her, to the root of her intentions. Then, he let go of the syringe and backed away, seemingly satisfied with whatever he thought he had found. Paige swallowed and turned to Ruby. She knew that it was not in her own nature to hurt anyone that didn't deserve it. And right then, looking at the she-demon's lifeless form, Paige wasn't sure she deserved to go through any more pain.

Breathing deeply, the witch stepped into the devil's trap. She knew right away that she would do everything she could not to prolong Ruby's suffering any more than necessary. Kneeling down she turned Ruby onto her back, so they faced one another. Ruby's eyes, which had barely been open earlier, widened to their fullest when she saw the how close the youngest Halliwell was to her in that moment.

"Ruby," Paige started.

"Are you going to kill me?" Ruby asked rather calmly, her voice not much more than a whisper.

The question surprised Paige more than it should have, and she found herself stammering, "W-what?"

"I would deserve it you know, to die. I deserve all of this. I've hurt so many people. I've hurt you. You should want to kill me. I deserve it," the demon babbled.

Attempting to get some focus out of her, Paige raised her voice, "Ruby, I need you to tell me about Rowena. What is she planning?"

Suddenly the she-demon grabbed Paige's arm, locking it in a death-grip that Paige knew she would never be able to break herself. "I want you to kill me! Please, I want to die!" Ruby screamed, tears streaming out of her eyes.

Dean lunged forward, but Paige held up a hand to stop him. The she-demon's screams, dissolved into quiet sobs. "Ruby, I know you're hurting, and I promise I will make it stop, if you just tell me what you know about Rowena's plans. Thank about my sisters, my nephews… think about Sam."

Ruby shuttered at the sound of Sam's name, and the pain she felt at the thought of him was visible. "You know he never loved me, not really. He loved how I made him feel. And for me, he was just a means to an end. He's just so _good_ , and I tainted him. I did _this_ to him. What kind of monster—"

"Ruby, you can make it up to him. You can make it up to all of us, if you tell us what you know. What is Rowena planning?"

"You'll tell Sam that I told you? You'll tell him that in the end that I did the right thing?"

Paige hesitated, but then agreed, putting her own feelings aside for the time being, "I promise I'll tell him Ruby. He'll be so proud of you."

The demon smiled a mangled smile that made Paige's heart wrench. "Rowena's going to free Lucifer and be his queen. She's going to use this thing, this book, to get him out and their going to rid the world of humanity, so that demons are free to roam the earth and all of that stuff every demon has been going on and on about since the beginning of time. She needs Dean and Chris for the spell to spring Lucifer. You have to stop her. All of you."

"This book, what is it called? How can we stop her?"

"She's cocky, too confident. If you can bait her, you can vanquish her. Her power comes from the people she surrounds herself with. Tell her I've been turned. That will hurt her, even if she doesn't show it. The book, I don't know… it's old, older than any magic I have ever witnessed. It belonged to this woman… Nadia. I don't know any more, I swear. I swear."

"You did great Ruby. Thank you. It's all going to stop now, okay?" Paige felt tears well up in her eyes, and realized that she pitied the woman lying in front of her. She was truly more woman than demon now, and she was suffering.

"I'm so sorry," Paige whispered as she injected the last dose of blood into Ruby's neck.

Dean stepped forward then, his hand dipped in his own blood. He placed his hand over Ruby's already bloodied face and muttered, "Exorciamus te, omnis immundus spiritus. Hanc animam redintegra, lustra. Lustra."

A white light began to slowly emanate from Ruby until it was so bright Dean and Paige had to back away from her body. When the light dissipated, Paige could not believe her eyes. There, in the middle of the room laying amidst pools of blood and gore, was Ruby, perfectly clean and totally healed.

Paige looked to Dean, and if his face was any indication, he was as astonished as she was. The two of them inched closer and closer to the body, and Paige noted that though she was now unhurt, Ruby was not breathing. Before she had a chance to process this, a shimmer of blue light came down from the ceiling, and a dark-skinned man in long white robes orbed into the room.

"Paige, Dean, I am Jonnah, of the Council of Elders. I have been sent to you this day, to explain what is to happen in the coming battles."

Dean looked even more confused than before, but Paige had dealt with the Elders in the past, and she knew that when they showed up, it was on their own time, and it was best to get as many questions in as possible, before they ran back 'up there', and left you to fend for yourself.

"The coming battles," Paige began, "With Rowena?"

Jonnah nodded, "Those, and those that may or may not follow. Much hangs in the balance right now, and it will depend on the combined forces of witch, hunter, whitelighter, angel… and demon, to do what is necessary."

" _Demon_? So what you're saying, is that we have to work with this bitch, over here?" Dean barked, pointing at Ruby, who still seemed to be suspended in time. "Do you know what she has done to my family? No way, man, I don't care who sent you."

Jonnah blinked, seemingly unfazed by Dean's outburst, "She is not the demon of whom I speak. Thanks to the two of you, Ruby is now human. There will be another demon unleashed, one that is necessary to win this fight. All will be revealed in due time. However, Ruby has not fully served her purpose in this course of events, and now that she has been made human, the Elders have decided that she will be offered a chance to redeem herself in this life, by aiding you in the fight against Rowena and Lucifer."

Paige laughed, "This is so typical. You sit on the sidelines fight after fight, and then when it's least convenient you orb down here to tell us _mortals_ how it's going to be, usually making the entire situation more difficult than it was before! Who gives you the goddamn right?"

"Paige," Jonnah began, but Dean was not about to listen to what he had to say next.

Hot with rage, the hunter grabbed Jonnah and pinned him against the nearest wall. "Now, I don't know you like the girls know you, but you remind me a lot of some feathery, haloed, dicks that I do know. If _Ruby_ is going to make it out of this, if you expect us to follow your little orders and work with her, you've got another thing coming."

"Dean!" Paige yelled. "Let go of him, now!"

After a brief moment of consideration, Dean let go of the Elder, who still looked unflustered by the Winchester's antics. "The fact of the matter is, Ruby has a vital role to play in the coming events, but she will need help to get there. She has a long and difficult past to relive, and atone for. That is why we will be placing her in your charge for the time being, Paige. She will need a whitelighter to guide her on this journey."

Paige could not believe what she was hearing. "There is no way in hell that I will take her on as a charge! She isn't even a witch, and there's no way she's a whitelighter in training! Not to mention, I have other charges who actually deserve my help!"

"You will do this because the Elders have asked it of you. We have a special interest in this girl, and she needs your help, Paige, no one is more or less deserving of your aid. I have no more to say on this matter. The Council will be watching."

Before Paige could argue anymore, Jonnah orbed away and whatever suspension of time he had enacted upon Ruby very quickly melted away. The demon-turned-human took a huge intake of breath, as if she had just been revived after drowning. She sat up and surveyed the graphic scene around her, and then looked down at herself. Confusion crossed her face as she took in her crisp, white, tank top and clean, tan skin. Suddenly a look of panic crossed Ruby's face, and her hand flew to her throat. Paige realized almost instantly that she was checking for a pulse.

Paige took a step in her direction, attempting to swallow her pride. "Ruby?"

The brunette whirled around wildly, her eyes wide in fear. "Is this… Am I…" She tried, but she couldn't form a complete thought.

"You're human now, bitch," Dean said. "How does it feel?"

"This body…" Ruby looked at the hand that wasn't continuously taking her pulse, as if it was foreign to her, "… It's permanent. It's mine. I'm whole."

"Ruby, the Elders saved your life, and they left me to help you through this," Paige told her. "I need you to talk to me. What do you feel?"

Ruby stopped studying her own form, and turned to look at Paige. She opened her mouth as if she was about to speak, but instead of words, a long cry escaped her throat. Paige looked away as Ruby continued to cry, unsure what she could do for the pitiful creature. Looking toward Dean, the two of them locked eyes. His expression seemed to ask the question she was also asking herself: What in the hell were they supposed to do now?

 **A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! It's a little bit happy, a little sad, and I'm sure it left you with a lot of questions, but I promise all will be answered in the upcoming chapters! I'm so looking forward to writing this new version of Ruby... what do you all think of her now that she is human?**

 **As always, I LOVE your input so PLEASE REVIEW! Feedback from all of my readers can really help with my ever present writer's block! Thank you, thank you! I hope I can get you all an update soon!**

 **XOXO, AryaUnderfoot**


	13. Breakfast At Halliwell Manor

The manor was quiet when Paige and Dean orbed into the attic. Dean held an exhausted, sleeping Phoebe in his arms, while Paige stood handcuffed to a newly human Ruby. It was late, almost midnight, and Dean was sure that nearly everyone would be asleep by then. The hunter and the witch had finally decided on a course of action, though they were each dreading its repercussions.

Paige had refused to keep Ruby, and all that had transpired at the bunker, a secret from Sam or her sisters. Dean had refused to let Ruby behave as though the deeds of her past were null and void simply because she now had a soul. He had sworn up and down, multiple times, that she would never be forgiven, making Ruby shrink away from him, each time more terrified than before. Paige could not decide how she felt about Dean's words. She knew that Ruby was dealing with a lot, and the whitelighter in her wanted to help. However, the petty human in her, the one that had feelings for Sam Winchester, wanted the ex-demon to experience her newfound feelings of self-hatred and regret to the highest degree. One thing that both Dean and Paige had agreed on however, was the fact that they needed to talk over the entire situation with their families present. So, despite the extremely late hour, they had both agreed to return to the manor.

"I'm going to take her to bed," Dean said, referring to the still sleeping Phoebe who was stirring a little in his arms. "Meet you downstairs?"

Paige felt her stomach growl, "Sure, I'm going to go get something to eat."

The two of them descended the stairs and parted ways, their respective charges in tow. Paige looked back as Dean traipsed down the hall, the weight of her sister barely affecting the hunter's stride. She thought back to when they had been getting ready to leave the bunker, and how reluctant he had been to even go near Phoebe's sleeping form, much less to take her into his arms. But, when he finally did, the care and gentility with which he held her, gave away his true feelings. There was so much standing in their way, but still so much love between them. Paige felt her heart sink a little at the thought, and walked down the remaining stairs.

Ruby followed the best she could, though it was still apparent that she was not doing very well. She was still shaking horribly, much like a junkie who desperately needed to score. Her eyes were either wide with fear and pain, or dazedly looking off into the distance, as if she wasn't really present within herself. Currently, it was the latter.

"Ruby," Paige said, getting close to the girl's face, attempting to break her out of whatever trance her mind had her in. "Are you hungry? You're human now, and humans need to eat."

The ex-demon stared at the witch, her expression vacant. "Food…" she trailed off.

Paige nodded, realizing that asking Ruby anything at this point was useless, "It's okay, I'll find you something. Come on."

Approaching the kitchen, Paige stopped abruptly. Two voices filled with laughter emanated from behind the door. They were clearly trying to be quiet, but it didn't take Paige long to recognize either one of them.

"A beer? Stuck to his hand?" Chris said incredulously.

"Hands down, the best prank I've ever pulled, on Dean or otherwise!" Sam replied, the sound of his laugh making Paige's heart jump from her chest to her throat.

"Wyatt and I used to prank our aunts and Mom all of the time growing up. They hated it so much! One time, Aunt Phoebe and Auntie Paige tried to get us back using the old glue and feathers gag, but my brother and I completely turned it around on them! Just imagine my aunts, head-to-toe _covered_ in bright pink feathers on our front lawn for the entire neighborhood to see!"

The two of them lost themselves in a fit of laughter until Chris finally caught his breath enough to continue. "And, I will never forget that time you and I tricked Melinda into thinking she'd gone deaf, I mean that one took planning!"

Their laughter cut off abruptly once they realized what Chris had just revealed. Silence ensued, and Paige found herself wondering who Melinda was, her thoughts interrupted as Sam spoke.

"So I'm around then, in your future, or I guess technically your past?" Sam asked, the pause that came afterward making Paige's heart race.

"You actually taught me everything I know about prank wars," Chris replied with the sound of a smile apparent in his voice. "Me and Wyatt both."

"What about Dean?" Sam asked, his voice barely audible from outside of the door.

"Sam, you know I can't… I'm sorry I let that last little thing slip, but I'm sure you knew already by my actions that I know you, and that you mean a lot to me. You and Wyatt were my best friends growing up, and _you_ always understood me more than anyone else, but I can't say any more. I'm sorry."

Paige, deciding that she had heard enough, took a deep breath and pushed through the door, helping Ruby along behind her. Both of the boys looked up in surprise at the witch's entrance. Surprise quickly turned to complete disbelief as they registered the presence of her ex-demon companion.

"Aunt Paige, you're… back," Chris said, clearly grasping for words. "And you're handcuffed to Ruby."

The two of them were seated at one end of the kitchen table, a heap of empty beer bottles between them, and books of lore pushed haphazardly to the other end. They both looked relieved to have something to distract them from their previous conversation, their attention laser-focused on Paige's every move.

"Yeah," she replied as she helped Ruby up onto one of the barstools on the other side of the kitchen, "Dean and Phoebe are upstairs as well." Paige began to unlock the handcuffs that were currently shackling her to Ruby at Dean's insistence. This tiny action was met with extremely loud and startled protests from both Sam and Chris.

"Shut up!" Paige shushed them, suddenly finding that she was not really in the mood to explain the current situation at all. They both watched, flabbergasted, as Paige appeared to go about her business, heating up some leftovers, as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening.

"You seem oddly calm about the fact that there is a demon loose in your kitchen," Chris stated.

At the word 'demon', Ruby's head snapped around to face the boys, her eyes wide. "Demon," she droned, as if she was trying the word out for the first time. "Demon…"

Sam looked at Paige, his eyes full of trepidation. "What happened to her? She's not… herself."

Paige sighed, realizing that her sudden irritation had not presented itself because she didn't want to explain the situation at all, but because she didn't want to explain it to _Sam._ "She's not a demon anymore. Dean and I cured her," Paige told him, ripping off the Band-Aid, rather than dragging out the inevitable. His gaze left hers immediately, and landed on Ruby, his expression unbelieving.

"Why is she all… loopy?" Chris asked.

Sam walked over to the dazed girl, who was still muttering the word demon over and over, her eyes once again empty. He inspected her, as if he was looking for a way to fix her, and Paige found she could no longer watch the scene unfolding before her. As she turned her attention back to her food, Sam answered Chris's question.

"When someone has been a demon as long as Ruby, committed as many unspeakable acts as her, and then suddenly has their soul knit back together, suddenly has the capacity to care about people and rationalize all of the chaos she's caused… Well it's enough to make anyone go insane."

"Sam," Ruby said, her voice the clearest it had been since she had been cured.

Sam looked startled for a moment, clearly unsure of how to respond. "Uh, yeah, Ruby it's Sam. Do you know where you are right now?"

Paige turned to see a single tear slip down Ruby's cheek as she whispered the words, "I'm sorry."

Sam's eyes widened and his jaw clenched. He turned away from the girl for a moment before turning back, his mind clearly made up. "I forgive you, Ruby."

"You what?" Paige blurted, what little control she had over her emotions completely obliterated by those last four words.

"Yeah, I'd like to ask the same question," Dean stated gruffly as he entered the room.

"Dean," Sam began, but his brother was having none of it.

"This bitch tortured you, lured you in and made you think she cared about you, started the damn apocalypse by using _you_ , and you're going to forgive her just like that? A soul doesn't change what she's done, Sammy."

"Really, Dean? Should we talk about all of the crappy things I did to you when I was soulless? Or, how about we revisit your many attempts on my life when you were a demon yourself? We both know what it's like to regain a soul, and it is no walk in the park. She literally put us through hell, that fact is by no means lost on me, but she is going through her own personal hell now. I'm not giving her a clean slate, but I am giving her the footing to start making amends, a concept that you should be very familiar with by now."

Dean stood in stunned silence for a moment, before nodding and exiting the room the same way he had entered. Sam called after him, but it was no use. A few seconds later they all heard the front door slam.

Sam turned to Paige, "How did this happen?" he asked accusingly.

Paige felt tears welling up in her eyes for a reason that she could not quite articulate at that moment. "I really can't discuss it right now," she told him, putting a plate full of food down in front of Ruby. "Since you're being so forgiving right now, maybe you can get her to eat something. She needs it."

Forgoing her own meal, Paige followed suit and left the room, unable to bring herself to turn back when she heard Sam call after her. Heading for her bedroom she made it halfway up the stairs where she met a confused and tired looking Piper, clearly woken by the chaos that had just ensued in her home.

"Paige, honey what is going on?" her sister asked.

Paige opened her mouth to answer, but found that the only thing she could muster was a sob. Collapsing into the arms of her confused sister, she let out all the frustration and guilt she had been letting build up over the last few days. Piper held her, and, thankfully, stopped asking questions. Paige knew that she would need to be forthcoming about everything that had happened with Ruby, because clearly Dean wasn't going to cooperate, but she just wanted a few more moments to herself, a few moments that she was sure only her big sister could give her at that time.

Composing herself, Paige pulled away from Piper. "I need to go lay down. I can't do this right now," she stammered.

Piper nodded, "Okay sweetie, you go do that. Where is everyone else?"

"Kitchen," Paige said, heading up the stairs to her room.

"Do you need anything, honey?"

Paige shook her head and kept walking, exhausted by her own emotions. As she collapsed into her bed, doing her best not to wake Leila, she was perfectly aware that all of her problems would still be there tomorrow. But, at that point in time, she simply could not bring herself to care.

Sam awoke the next morning to a shooting pain traveling all of the way from his lower back to the base of his neck. He had fallen asleep in one of the living room armchairs early this morning after things had finally calmed down, at least a little. Ruby had gone wild the minute she realized that Paige had left the room and wasn't coming back, something Sam did not quite understand. But, eventually he and Piper had gotten her settled on the couch. When Sam had tried to go upstairs to lay down, Ruby had started to pitch a fit all over again. Sam was certain that the idea of being alone with her thoughts scared Ruby more than anything right now, and he didn't blame her.

He had meant every word he'd said to Dean the night before, and he found that he also felt no remorse for any of it. Ruby was a human being now, and she was going to need their help. There wasn't much more to it in his opinion. If only his brother could see it that way.

* * *

Sitting up straight and wiping the sleep from his eyes, Sam suddenly realized that he was the only one in the room. Panic ensued for a moment, until he realized that there were multiple voices coming from the kitchen. Walking into the room, he felt his stomach rumble as the smell of bacon and pancakes wafted over him. Almost everyone was awake already, and with the racket they were making, Sam was surprised he had slept as long as he did. Piper was at the stove, cooking up way too much food, while Chris sat across the bar from her devouring most of it. He scanned the room for Ruby and finally laid eyes on her, sitting at the kitchen table between Leila and Paige, going to town on a short stack. Sam wasn't sure what surprised him more, seeing Ruby eat or the fact that she seemed to be engaged in some form of meaningful dialogue with Paige. She was dressed in a white shirt and loose grey sweatpants, a far cry from her usual leather ensemble. There was an innocence to her now that took Sam completely off guard.

"Morning, Sam," Chris said, handing over a hot cup of coffee.

"Morning," Sam replied, unable to take his eyes of the witch and his ex-demon ex, his surprise and suspicion heightening as the two of them exchanged a smile.

"Weird isn't it? One minute Aunt Paige is having a mental breakdown because Ruby is here, and the next she's all 'come here sweetie, let's get you some breakfast'," Chris imitated his aunt, his voice going up in pitch.

"So they're being civil?"

"It's almost like the three of them are peas in a pod."

"Three?"

"Yeah, Leila's in their little club too, although I think she'd help anyone who seemed lost or broken. It's like her thing."

"Mhm," Sam chuckled as Chris got all starry-eyed.

"Shut up," Chris mumbled, shoving Sam playfully, like a little brother would.

"That's one hard crush you've got there," Sam teased as Chris's cheeked turned a deep shade of scarlet.

"Yeah well, it's never going to happen anyway."

"How come?"

"Um, she's like eighteen years older than me for starters, not to mention the small issue of me eventually having to go back to the future."

"Agh! Age is just a number! Look her up when you get back, maybe she goes for younger guys!"

The two lost themselves in a fit of laughter that was only cut off by the sound of the front door opening and then slamming again.

"Did Dean ever come home last night?" Sam asked.

"No," Piper replied.

Taking a deep breath Sam stepped back into the living room followed closely by Chris and the rest of the group. Unsurprisingly they found Dean staggering toward the stairs. He smelled strongly of whiskey and cigar smoke, and Sam knew that he'd been at some back-alley bar all night.

"How'd the bottle treat you, Dean?" Sam asked, his voice echoing through the manor's, now silent, expanse.

"Better than you," Dean slurred without turning to face him. He took a stab at climbing the first step, but quickly lost his footing and found himself in a seated positon instead.

"Look Dean, I don't want to fight with you. We have bigger fish to fry. Ruby is here now, and there's nothing we can do about that, so let's just move on and figure out what the best move is for everyone going forward."

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," a female voice rang out. Everyone looked up to see Phoebe descending the stairs, a strength back in her stride that had been missing for some time.

"Do what?" Sam asked.

"Play peacemaker," Phoebe replied. "It really pisses him off, especially in his current… condition."

"Well, I don't know what else to do! If I can forego learning how and why Ruby became human in the first place, then he could at least try to present a little humility!"

"You haven't told him?" Dean asked, the question directed at Paige.

Paige shifted her gaze from one Winchester to the other, "No I haven't had a chance to tell any of them anything, I… wasn't feeling well last night."

"Well damn!" Dean said, pushing himself back into a standing position, wobbling back and forth until he could find his balance. "I guess someone had better get me some coffee, because we have got a story for you."

"I think I can handle it, Dean," Paige said. "Why don't you go lay down?"

"Yeah right, and not have a chance to explain myself? No way, witchy-poo."

Phoebe walked down the rest of the stairs with a smirk on her face, saying, "Well then, at least let me help you to the kitchen."

"I don't need your help," Dean muttered taking a few uneasy steps toward Sam.

"Sure you don't champ," Phoebe said, inserting herself under Dean's arm and exuding way more physical strength than she appeared to have.

"Fine," Dean grumbled. "But quit that emotion reading crap. It's not good for either of us."

"Leila," Sam said, watching his brother closely, "Run upstairs and get Cas. Piper, I think you're going to want to call your husband."

When their group was fully assembled, and they had all spent a good twenty minutes skirting around the topic at hand, Piper was finally able to quiet them all and focus the conversation on the elder Winchester brother.

Dean cleared his throat and began, "Uh… When Sam, Paige, and Piper all left the bunker I figured the least I could do was get as much information as I could from the… prisoner. I had tried all of the usual ways by then, and started to realize that I wasn't going to get anything out of her. If Ruby is one thing, it's loyal. She's the best of the best when it comes to demon henchmen. Every punch, slice, kick had her cries of pain turning into maniacal laughter. So… I had to think outside of the box."

"Ruby, honey, maybe we should go upstairs. You don't want to hear this," Paige suggested.

Ruby furrowed her brow, "I think I need to. There's a lot I don't remember, and you said that it isn't good to deny my past, right? That denial will only hurt me more in the long run."

Everyone stared as she spoke, her voice clear and controlled, a miracle recovery from the night before. Sam was as startled as everyone else, but more so by the advice Paige had given her. How had both of these women overcome so much in just a few hours?

"What happened next Dean?" Phoebe probed.

The hunter took a deep breath, his eyes flicking up to meet Sam's and then quickly re-training his gaze on the floor. "I figured the only way to make her talk, the only way she would feel anything intensely enough to betray Rowena, would be to bring out her humanity. So I gave the bitch a taste of her own medicine."

Ruby flinched at the animosity in Dean's voice, but said nothing in reply.

"You didn't use my blood, did you?" Sam asked, trying to discern the full meaning of 'her own medicine'.

Dean shook his head, "Mine. Pre-mark."

"So what made you decide to make her fully human?" Castiel inquired.

"I think the better question right now, is what kind of information did you get from her?" Leo countered.

"I can answer both questions if Dean wants to hand over the reins," Paige said, proceeding only at Dean's acknowledgment. "When I arrived at the bunker, Ruby had received all of the injections to make her fully human, except one. She was… well she wasn't in good shape. I quickly realized that the final injection would probably kill her, and Dean allowed me to get what information I could out of her. Basically Rowena has this book of dark magick that belonged to some witch called Nadia. There is a spell in it that allows her to harness pure light energy and pure dark energy in order to spring Lucifer from…"

"The cage," Sam and Ruby said simultaneously.

"Right," Paige said, an uncomfortable look crossing her face. "She didn't know much more than that, and by then… she was begging me to let her die."

Ruby's eyes were closed now, her face contorted in pain, and Sam found himself wanting to go to her. It wasn't a romantic pull, but it was definitely an emotional one. He knew where she was at in her head, how all of the memories were flooding in at once, reminding her of the person she was, and threatening the one she could become.

"I injected her, Dean performed the ritual, but instead of passing on, she was healed."

"Healed by whom?" Castiel questioned.

"By the Elders. Leo, did you know?" Paige asked.

Leo shook his head, a look of shock and confusion on his face. "How do you know—"

"Because we spoke with one of them," Dean interjected. "He said his name was Jonnah."

"Jonnah is a very powerful Elder, third in command. Did he explain?"

Paige shrugged, "He just said that Ruby still had a part to play in all of this. That it would take witch, human, angel, and demon-kind to stop what is coming. Why are they always so cryptic?"

"Demon-kind?" Sam repeated. "What do you think he meant by that?"

"Well, he made it very clear that he didn't mean Ruby. He said that another would present itself."

Sam felt a pit begin to grow in his stomach. _Another demon,_ he thought. _Could it be… NO._ He shut his thoughts down. There was no time for what-ifs right now.

"In all of this banter with an elder," Phoebe piped up, "Did you happen to ask them what's up with this new power of mine?"

Dean and Paige exchanged a glance, but stayed silent.

Phoebe looked down at her hands, "I just have this feeling that I'm developing it for a reason, you know? Like it will help in the fight somehow."

"I can ask around up there for you Phoebe, but you know how they like you to figure these things out for yourself," Leo said.

Phoebe nodded, and said no more.

"So," Chris began, "I guess all that is left to do now is figure out exactly how Ruby can help us, and to stop Rowena as soon as we can."

"Chris…" Piper trailed off, warning in her tone.

"Mom—"

"NO."

"Okay… what did we all miss?" Dean asked, the majority of the room nodding in agreement with his statement.

"Chris wants to offer himself up as bait to lure Rowena in," Piper replied.

Leo whirled on his son, "Under no circumstances—"

"Oh please!" Chris cut him off, "Save it, because I promise that whatever you have to say, Mom has already beat you to it!"

"With good reason!" Leo shouted, "Christopher Perry Halliwell—"

"Why am I here?" Chris tried, and this question did seem to quiet his parents. "I _have_ to do this. Mom, Dad… I have to play my part, no matter the consequences. I promised. I promised _her_."

Recognition dawned on his parents faces as Piper laid her hands gingerly on her stomach.

"Her?" Phoebe questioned. "Who, her?"

Chris ignored his aunt and continued, "There is nothing for me where I came from. No mother, no father, no aunts or uncles… no Wyatt. There is no reason to go back if we can't stop this crazy bitch. Stopping her is why I am here, so argue, piss, and moan all you want, but this is a good, solid plan, and it will work."

A period of silence followed, broken ultimately by Sam asking, "So what exactly is this plan?"

Piper and Leo linked hands, mournful expressions on their faces as Chris spoke. "The idea is to distract her enough to rescue little Wyatt and vanquish her all at once. I orb myself to the Underworld, offer myself up saying I want the fighting to end—"

"Is the idea, excuse me, that she can use you for her ritual in the same way she can use the Chris from this time?" Castiel inquired.

"Exactly," Chris said. "The thing is, the odds that I'm still as pure as I was at age three are honestly… well pretty much nonexistent."

"But isn't it your light _magic_ that Rowena is after? That doesn't change as long as you continue to practice it, right?" Sam questioned.

"It is a gamble, Chris," Castiel agreed.

"Look, it isn't even going to be an issue, I'm just the distraction, and as long as I'm not with Dean, she is still missing half of the puzzle. While she's distracted by me, some of you may be able to get close enough to vanquish her, while others can be rescuing my brother. Honestly, I think using me is our best bet."

There was silence for a moment.

"Well, I think it's as good of a plan as any we've come up with," Dean said.

"Yeah, well, you're drunk," Piper grumbled in reply.

"I hate to say this," Paige stated, "But I agree with Dean. We haven't come up with a better plan, and quite frankly I'm tired of sitting on our hands and letting the bad guys get the upper hand."

"If we are going to do this, I would like to help," Ruby said suddenly. "Maybe I can pretend like I've brought Chris to Rowena, like I've… captured him or something. It might not be much, but in the event that something goes wrong, I'd at least be able to take her off guard."

Sam felt something stir in him as Ruby spoke. It wasn't like listening to the Ruby he had known in his past. There was no bite to her words, none of that unrelenting sarcasm that he had learned to love. It was almost as if she were a blank slate looking to be molded, so different from the demon that had constantly put her guard up.

"That's all well and good, but if another demon sees you their going to know that you're all… un-demony," Dean replied. "They're going to be able to see your true face."

"We might be able to help shroud her in demonic energy, though there's no telling what toll that might take on her," Piper said.

"I want to do it, whatever the cost. I… I want to try and make amends, the right way. Paige says it is important to try and be better than I was. This is the way to do that, right?"

"Are many of your memories coming back?" Sam asked, unable to help himself.

Ruby avoided looking him in his eyes. "Some are more vivid than others, the intense ones. I remember a lot about our time together, and what I did to you and your brother. I know you said last night that you forgive me, but that does not stop me from feeling this… I don't really know what to call it. It's like dread, but sadder and long-lasting."

"That's called guilt, sister," Dean slurred, taking a long slurp from his coffee mug.

"Okay, will someone please take drunky-pants over there up to his bed, please? We have a lot more to do before this plan is going to be fit for action, and he is only going to get in the way," Piper said.

Castiel and Leila stepped forward to coax Dean out of his chair and, after a bit of maneuvering, out of the room. "Oh, actually Paige will you run and tell Dean to try calling the King of Hell one more time before he passes out? We could use all of the help we can get on this one."

Paige nodded and left the room. Sam felt compelled to follow her.

"Paige!"

The witch barely turned to reply. "Not now, Sam," she said, her stride unceasing.

"Why are you suddenly so buddy, buddy with Ruby? Yesterday you could barely look at her!"

His comment stopped Paige in her tracks. " _That_ is the question you have for me? Of all the things you could ask—Look, Ruby is my charge now, so despite the personal feelings I may or may not have toward her, I still have a job to do. Not to mention she's like a newborn baby, all confused and breakable, so it's sort of hard to hold a grudge against her."

Sam sighed, "I guess I just want you to know that her being here, it doesn't change how I feel about you."

"Don't delude yourself, Sam. It changes everything. Just the fact that you're standing here talking about it, proves that fact."

"No—"

"Sam," Paige said, holding her hand up to cut him off, "There is a battle to prepare for, and the last thing I need right now is to be distracted by sweet words. Please, I need space."

Sam watched her walk away, and began to doubt himself. Did he truly know his own feelings when it came to Ruby? Their past was so tortured and tangled, was it any wonder he couldn't rationalize it? One thing he did know, is that Paige and her family gave him a sense of security that he hadn't felt in a long time. But, was he confusing love with that sense of safety? He shook his head, these were thoughts for another time. Paige was right when she said there were more important things to think about right now. Heading back to the kitchen, and back into the heat of battle planning Sam tried to clear his head and focus on the task at hand.

"Everything okay?" Chris asked.

Sam shook his head, "I'm not sure right now. But if we can all get through this… it might be."

 **A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I know it was a lot of dialogue, but our heroes have all been away from each other for quite some time, so there was a lot to catch up on. The next chapter will be much more action packed, I promise!**

 **As always, please review! I love hearing your ideas for where the story may go, or how you are liking it so far! You all inspire me to keep writing this fic! THANK YOU FOR READING!**

 **XOXO AryaUnderfoot**


	14. In The Witch's Den

The Underworld was a dark, dank place. Chris had almost forgotten how much he despised its lurid humidity, and dimly lit corridors. All of the time he had spent in this literal hellhole playing double agent had not helped better his opinion. The constant feeling of betrayal that had lived perpetually in the pit of his stomach back then, returned to him now in a wave of painful memories. He shook his head, attempting to center his thoughts. He had done what he had to do then, and he would do the same now. Chris had endlessly advocated for this plan, and he wasn't about to scare himself out of it.

"Are you okay?" Ruby asked.

Chris looked over at her. She was very beautiful, with her raven hair and tan skin. Her eyes, a deep green, shone bright in the darkness. She was dressed like a demon, all black and studded leather, but she looked almost wrong in those clothes now. There was a kind of softness about her features, ever since she had been cured. She was almost earnest with the need to understand and atone. Chris felt for her, but her newfound sincerity would not serve their purpose now.

"I'll be fine, but you need to look more… demonic."

Ruby frowned.

"Yeah, that helps. Now, stand with more confidence, be cocky. Act like you know better than everyone, and that chaos is your favorite thing."

"But, I do what Rowena asks, don't I?"

Chris nodded, "Yes, always. The only thing any of us ever admired about you was your loyalty. When you found a cause, you saw it through, no matter the repercussions."

Ruby nodded, grabbing Chris's arms suddenly, "Well then we'd better give my illustrious mistress what she wants. Shall we?"

Chris almost smiled as she attempted to get into character. "Do you remember what you were like, you know, before?"

"A little," Ruby replied, her voice faint. "It's less like remembering and more like… like this weird sort of muscle memory. It feels like there are two versions of myself, the blank page that I am now, and the shadow of a nightmare that looms over me, reminding me of exactly what I could become. Does that make any sense?"

"I think so," Chris smiled, being as reassuring as he could. "Do you think you can tap into enough of that shadow self to get through this?"

"Hopefully I won't have to do much of the talking, and this demonic cloaking spell works as well as your mom thinks it will."

Chris nodded, "Okay, I'm ready when you are."

Ruby closed her eyes, clearing her thoughts, and allowing her mind to call out to the witch. "Rowena," she barked into the darkness. Silence followed.

Chris was beginning to doubt whether or not this mode of communication still worked now that Ruby was no longer a demon, but just as he was about to suggest they try something else, a large cloud of red smoke entered the room carrying the evil witch in its grasp. Rowena was clad in emerald green velvet, a stark contrast to her hair's bright shade of red. Her nails were sharpened into talons, painted black as night, ready at a moment's notice to be used on the jugular of an uncompromising victim. Elegant, but terrifying, she struck fear deep into Chris's heart, but he would not let that interfere with his plan. There was too much at stake to risk running now.

"Ruby, my darling," Rowena spoke, her Scottish accent lilting menacingly. "What have you brought me?"

"She has brought you nothing. In fact, the case is quite the opposite," Chris replied, grabbing Ruby by the arm and flinging her to her knees before her former mistress. So wrapped up in his own act, Chris felt very little remorse as Ruby hit the ground and cried out in pain. "I have returned your servant as an act of good faith. I'm here to strike a deal with you."

Rowena narrowed her eyes, "And who, might I ask, are you? Some long lost Winchester cousin, all thumbs and unkempt flannel?"

"I am Chris Halliwell."

The witch cackled, "That's not possible, dearie. Chris Halliwell is a toddler, not some tall, tan, would-be hunter with a death wish. I am not amused by your deception. I will only ask once more," Rowena growled, a fireball materializing in her right palm, "Who are you?"

Unfazed, or at least pretending to be, Chris chuckled. "If you truly are as powerful as my mother and aunts seem to think, then you know that with a little magic, impossible things, things like… time travel, can become simple."

"Are you saying that you are Chris Halliwell, from the future?"

"The very same."

The witch's eyes went wide, her demeanor changing on a dime. "In the future, do I succeed in my efforts? Do I sit at the right hand of Lucifer the Almighty? Does demonic chaos reign? Am I the queen of unending night?"

The witch looked at him expectantly, made giddy by her own words. In that moment, it took everything in Chris not to lunge at her throat with his bare hands. He was beginning to realize that this woman was responsible for everything that had been taken from him. Every inch of his future hinged on choices that she had made. In truth, if it hadn't been for his family mentioning her from time to time, Chris would have no idea who Rowena was. Lucifer didn't keep her around long after she released him from the cage. In fact, she became a rather minor footnote in the fallen angel's rise to power. However, the point right now was to keep her talking so the others could execute the rest of the plan.

"Honestly… you are revered by all witches, and feared by all of humanity," he lied. "With Lucifer by your side, your power will grow. But, for that to happen, you will need me, isn't that right?"

Rowena was glowing as her future looked to be securing itself right before her very eyes. "Yes, I suppose you'll do just as well for the ritual as your mini counterpart… as long as you haven't stopped practicing light magic. But what is in it for you? Why do you give yourself so freely?"

Chris took a deep breath, knowing that this was the moment he truly needed to sell. "In the future, other things have changed. Things in my life, for example, do not turn out quite so… fulfilling as yours. If I told you that I will give myself to you, and that I have a way to get Dean Winchester to you as well, then in return you would have to swear that my entire family, which includes Sam Winchester, the angel Castiel, and Leila Perkins, would be spared by both you and Lucifer as you carry out your plan."

"Those are your terms? What if your precious family comes after me and my King? I cannot guarantee they would not be harmed. The spoils of war are often… unpredictable."

"You have a valid point. If they attack you, our deal is null and void, but they are not to be bothered whatsoever until then. Additionally, I will only agree if you swear a blood oath. If you do not, I will take your henchwoman, and orb away for good. You will not get another chance at this."

Turning away from Chris and Ruby, who was still on the floor, avoiding eye contact with her mistress at all costs, Rowena looked to be considering her options. She looked down at Ruby, and frowned.

Chris felt his heart begin to beat faster as Rowena asked, "What have they done to you? You are not Ruby, not entirely."

"Mistress please," Ruby said, her voice clear, "They… they injected me with human blood. They wanted to make me _feel._ " Chris was impressed at the amount of animosity in her voice, but Rowena did not seem convinced.

"You bring me damaged goods in hopes of making a deal with me, Chris Halliwell? I have to say, I am not impressed."

Chris huffed, "Oh please, give her a few days to detox and she'll be fine. Do we have a deal?"

Rowena studied Ruby, and then Chris for a few too many seconds. "We do," she said finally, "Though I am not sure you know what you are promising."

"Before we do any more talking, seal it with blood. I'm sure an all-powerful witch like yourself knows the ritual off hand."

"First, I want you to tell me your plan to get Dean Winchester on board. Without him this will all mean nothing."

Chris swallowed, unsure of what to tell her. Luckily, by this point, the rest of his plan was nearly in place. He saw a flicker of movement behind the witch, and knew that Paige had just orbed Sam and Castiel into the cave. It was Paige's job to vanquish the witch with one of their new, beefed-up vanquishing potions, and Sam and Castiel's job to get her close enough to so. Doing his best to ignore their presence in the room, Chris threw out the best reasoning for Dean giving himself up, that he could think of.

"Well, to get to him, you have to ask yourself, what does Dean Winchester want more than anything in the world?"

"I'm not here to analyze the psyche of lesser beings, Christopher. In other words, spit it out, dearie."

"He wants the Mark of Cain off of his body. As a very powerful wielder of dark magick, who's to say you can't give that to him? In fact, who's to say this ritual of yours won't pull the Mark and all of its darkness right out of him? Lie to him. Because if he believes that you can cure the Mark, he will come running. More than anything Dean Winchester wants his life back. He wants to be able to hunt and love and live without constantly having to control the bloodthirst in his veins. You have to trust me on this one."

Rowena smiled a devious smile. "I think I am beginning to do just that. And I can do you one better, because I do, in fact, have a way to cure our friend Dean."

Chris felt his heart jerk. He cast a glance over the witch's shoulder and saw that her proclamation had also made Sam and Cas stop in their tracks. Paige was looking from one man to the other, confused as to why they had both stopped moving.

"What do you mean?" Chris asked, focusing his attention back on Rowena.

"I have a book, a very old tome, entitled "The Book of the Damned", and in it is a ritualistic spell that would work to remove the Mark. In a sense, we don't even have to lie to your precious Dean, because I _can_ do what you're suggesting, I just _won't_."

"So we have a deal then," Chris said, noticing that the vanquishing party was still at a standstill.

"Yes, well, I'd love to, dearie. Really, I would. But, you've looked over my shoulder one too many times, and if you think I didn't smell a trap a mile away, you would be sorely mistaken." The witch turned, "Oh hello, Samuel! And Castiel, you're looking much better than you were the last time I saw you. I assume by now you've heard the news. I can cure your precious Dean!"

"How is that even possible?" Sam asked. "We've found nothing, no information about how to get rid of the Mark. You could be lying."

"Aye, but I could be telling the truth too, dearie. Like you said, you've found nothing, which makes me your only hope. Vanquishing me also vanquishes your one chance to fix your brother, because I will tell you right now that even your sweet little Charmed Ones cannot work such old, black magick. There is only me."

Chris could see the internal struggle going on in the minds of the hunter, the Charmed One, and the angel respectively. Each knew that without Rowena, their lives would be forever effected by the Mark of Cain in various ways. But Chris had seen the damage that letting her carry out her plan would bring. He thought about the sky, starless and dark, about his sister and her pleading, brown eyes, about his brother and Sam and the hole they left in his heart when they had been taken from him too soon. He could not let that future come to be. Not again.

"Paige!" he shouted at his aunt. Her eyes locked on his, and he could see that they were full of agony, knowing what she had to do next. She was close enough to Rowena to finish her off, and Chris watched with unblinking eyes as she raised her arm to throw the potion at the feet of the evil witch.

But, before Paige could follow through, Sam knocked her to the ground in a way that resembled some kind of a football maneuver. He landed on top Paige, a loud grunt escaping his lips. Chris watched as the vial she had been clutching, flew through the air and shattered into countless pieces on the stone floor, along with his hopes for a new future.

"Sam! What in the hell is wrong with you?" Paige started, slewing a number of insulting phrases the Winchester's way. It almost made Chris laugh to see them at such odds now, knowing what they would become in the future. Since returning to the past he hadn't allowed himself much time to think about how their futures would pan out. It was dangerous, as a time traveler, to think of such things. When you have the ability to change the entire fabric of reality with a single sentence, it seems mandatory that you police your own thoughts. But, as Chris felt Rowena's arms wrap around his torso, as he felt hope for a newer, brighter future slip out of his grasp, he allowed himself one moment to see them, once more, as his Uncle Sammy and Aunt Paige. Someday, they would buy a ranch style house, about a half hour outside of San Francisco, one that gave them the freedom to be the practicing witch and hunter that they both were at their very core. They would never marry, but always claim that that was their secret to staying together. Not long after Chris turned six, Paige would give birth to his favorite cousin, Charlie, and no matter how many times Sam was asked, he would never be able to explain the origin of his son's name. Each time, he would get too choked up to even begin the story. Chris had spent endless days and nights in their home, learning what it meant to be a hunter, a whitelighter, and a good person. He knew that the two of them, Sam and Paige, would find each other at the end of all of this, and realize that there was no one else perfect enough for either of them.

As his vision began to blur, and he knew that Rowena was blinking him away he took himself back to his favorite memory: It was a hot summer day, and he and Wyatt had been at each other's throats for some meaningless reason that he couldn't remember now. Mom and Dad had sent them to Uncle Sammy and Aunt Paige's house to get some peace and quiet, but also so that they would be forced to work out their differences by spending the rest of the day together. They spent the day apart however, Chris playing pretend hunter with Charlie, Wyatt playing pretend witch with Aunt Phoebe's daughter Joanna. They all came together though, once dinner was on the table. Chris was nearing age ten at that point, and Wyatt was nearly thirteen. They were both old enough to begin to comprehend that their views on life were somewhat different. At that dinner they talked it out with the help of their aunts and uncles. It was a true testament to the closeness of their families, showing that whether you felt more like a hunter or a witch, regardless of how you identified, you were loved. Chris wanted that memory to still exist for the him that had yet to grow up. As the scene before him, of his Aunt and Uncle and their dear friend, dissipated, he realized that maybe it wouldn't. Who could possibly know what the effects of him coming back from the future would end up being? Had he ruined everything, simply by trying to fix it?

He heard Rowena's high-pitched laugh in his ear, and watched as Ruby reached out to her mistress. It was as if she was begging to be taken back into Rowena's good graces, only to be knocked back against the nearest wall by an invisible force. Ruby slumped to the floor, unconscious and bleeding.

"Sorry, my dear," Rowena quipped, "But I really don't have time to fix your broken ego."

Chris could hear Sam and Paige calling out to him, could feel himself wanting to go to them, to follow the sound of their voices. But, he was paralyzed, whether it was by magic or by the gravity of the situation, he could not tell. As one scene disappeared in a cloud of red smoke and another came into view, he fixated his mind on that memory and those feelings from long ago. He hoped that however this panned out, it would help him fight Rowena or whoever else came along, to the bitter end.

* * *

30 Minutes Earlier…

Piper, Dean, and Leo orbed into the Underworld, unsure of exactly what they would find in Rowena's lair. The witch knew that she would find her son, and that she would do everything she could to bring him home safely. How difficult that feat would prove, remained to be seen. Just to be safe, the witch, the hunter, and the whitelighter made sure they were sufficiently armed with enough seraph blades, vanquishing potions, and stamina to make it out of there unscathed.

Dean was on edge, Piper could tell. Being this close to someone who wanted to drain his store of demonic energy, possibly taking his life along with it, was enough to spook even the bravest person. However, Piper knew that while death was frightening for anyone, even more frightening for Dean was what would occur after death. Rowena could use all of the dark energy from the Mark of Cain that she wanted, but even when she had taken what she needed, the Mark itself would remain. The way it was colored, the way it looked almost burned into Dean's forearm, reminded Piper of how deeply rooted it truly was in him. It struck her that this thing was as old a time, and that it could end up controlling Dean for the rest of eternity. If Rowena took Dean's life, she and her family were in for so much more trouble. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that maybe they should have left Dean at home with Phoebe and Leila.

"Dean…" she started, but didn't get to finish, as they had walked far enough along, to find themselves at that wide stone entrance to the Seer's den. Rowena had fashioned the lair into her own. There were armor-clad she-demons patrolling each entrance, and many milling about within. In the middle of the room many were crowded around the Seer's cauldron, as if they were trying to see what she might. The three of them quickly darted behind a nearby pillar that jutted out of the ceiling and hung low, wide enough to hide the three of them from demonic eyes.

"Alright hun," Leo said. "What's the plan?"  
Piper thought for a moment. They could go in guns blazing, that's what she truly wanted to do. But, Wyatt was in there somewhere, and she wasn't about to endanger his life in any way. Peeking her head around, she focused her concentration on the entire room.

Leo grabbed her elbow, "Piper that's a lot of demons, I don't—"

Immediately Piper shushed him, "Let me think."

Taking a moment, she let her hands fly forward. Suddenly, every demon in the room froze like stone statues. She took off without thought, feeling her energy deplete significantly due to the level of exertion her powers were under, but she didn't care. Her mind's eye was fixed on a head of blonde curls and two shining blue eyes, and she knew she could hold on until he was safe in her arms again.

It took her only a few moments to locate him in a small cell in the corner of the room. He was asleep on a small mat that he had been given to him, and if you erased his surroundings, you would think he was perfectly content. But upon closer inspection she saw that his face was smeared with grime, his cheeks tear-stained, and his golden locks tangled and crusted with dirt. Piper could have sobbed just at the sight of him, but knew she had better hold it together.

Dean came up behind her, keys he had pilfered form the nearest frozen demon jingling in his hand. She snatched them up quickly and opened the cell, dropping to her knees next to her son. Gingerly she took him in her arms and held him tight.

"Mommy, you came for me!" he said, his bright eyes fluttering open.

"You bet I did! And your Daddy's here too. It's all going to be okay beautiful boy."

"Where's Chris?" Wyatt asked, and Piper felt her heart melt at his immediate concern for his younger brother.

"He's safe 'up there' with the Elders, buddy," Leo told him. "Would you like me to take you to him? I'm sure he'd be so happy to see you!"

Wyatt hesitated, "Are you and Mommy coming too?"

"I am, and Mommy will come as soon as she finds Auntie Paige and makes sure she's alright. Sound okay?"

Wyatt nodded but Piper could tell he wasn't too sure. "I will be with you as soon as I can my little warrior. I missed you so much this whole time, I was so afraid I would never get you back," she told him.

Her son put his little arms around her, "I'm okay now Mommy. I love you."

Piper did everything she could not to break down into a fit of sobs then and there. She felt like an irresponsible mother, leaving Wyatt again so soon. She felt like she should hold onto him forever, never letting him out of her reach. Instead, she picked him up and handed him to Leo.

"I love you my sweet boy," she said, kissing him on the forehead. She looked to Leo, and in his eyes she saw his concern. _Be careful, I love you,_ they told her. While hers told him to take care of their sons, that nothing else was more important. He leaned down and gave her a long, wistful kiss on the lips. When she opened her eyes he and Wyatt had orbed away. Her heart ached. She wanted nothing more than to have gone with them. But her sister and her other son were out there, and right now, they needed her more that Wyatt, baby Chris, or Leo did.

"Need a shoulder to cry on, love? I've got two fresh ones right here," a slightly familiar voice called out, pulling Piper from her reverie. Turning she came face to face with the King of Hell sitting in a cell of his own. The cage was too small for him, he was hunched over, still in his three-piece, pinstriped suit, looking extremely uncomfortable.

"Forgive me, but it doesn't look like you're in any position to be cracking jokes, your highness," Piper replied, making Dean chuckle.

"Yes well, my whore of a mother thought it would be hilarious to trap me here, exorcise me, and put the Prince of Darkness in my body once he got out of the cage. Perhaps she really does love me after all."

"But Crowley, I thought you were indestructible! Isn't that what he said, Dean?"

"Yeah," Dean knelt down in front of the cell, "Let's just say he can talk a big talk, but on the inside he's just a little kid yearning to be loved."

Crowley scowled, "Look, whatever voodoo my mother is messing with, it's serious this time. I was warded against everything, I was even working on making it impossible to summon me by spell, but she has a whole other level of sorcery going on this time. So if you could just let me right out of here, and then be on your way that would be great."

Dean and Piper exchanged a wary look.

"Listen, it's in your best interest to let me go. Without me, she lacks a vessel for Lucifer, unless Sammy plans to say yes any time soon."

"Over my dead body," Dean spat.

"Well, actually I think that's the plan."

"It's not good enough. Sweeten the deal or we'll leave you here to rot."

A knowing look crossed Crowley's face, "If you insist, only because I'm sure I know exactly what you want, and I'm the only one who knows where it is. Here's the deal Winchester, if you let me out I will come when you call _one time._ Just once I will grant you one favor that it is in my power to give. What do you say to that?"

"I say that you will come if I call, but also if Piper or Sam do, and that you will swear it in blood. I know your tricks, Crowley you aren't getting out of this one."

The King of Hell looked slightly irritated at how well the hunter knew him. He surveyed his surroundings once and nodded as if nothing could be worse than being imprisoned for another moment. Dean pulled a knife from his belt and sliced his own hand without even flinching. Piper watched as Crowley handed his own palm over, grumbling a little too much when the knife made him bleed. Without hesitating the two grabbed hands, their blood mixing, a bond forming. They turned to Piper.

"Oh, um, sorry we don't deal much with blood magic," she stammered.

"Well then make something up sister, we don't have all day," Dean commanded.

Although he was rather boorish about it, he wasn't wrong. Piper could feel a strain on her power, and she wasn't sure how long the room could continue to be frozen. Thinking hard, she began to chant, " _Blood that boils, blood that binds, join these hearts and join these minds. The oath sworn here shall not be broken, until the King has been our token_."

Dean and Crowley pulled apart, and both stared, wide-eyed at their healed palms. It was clear they had both felt the effects of the spell, and they weren't the only ones. Piper needed to move, fast. She bent down and unlocked Crowley's cell. He stood and brushed himself off, giving Piper a quick wink before blinking away.

"Coward," Dean mumbled, turning to Piper. When he saw the look of pain in her eyes, his demeanor switched on a dime. "Alright sister, we should move. I don't totally know how your magic works, but Leo made it sound like you can't keep up this ice sculpture gag forever."

Piper rolled her eyes, "How is it possible that you're still that dismissive of how badass we are? Can you freeze time with your fingers? Can you bind two people to a freaking blood oath in ten seconds or less? I don't think so, mister!" But, Piper knew he was right, they needed to find Paige and hope that her part of the plan had succeeded. She motioned for him to follow her back out the way they had come, but she found her path blocked by a tall, dark-skinned woman.

The woman flashed them a brilliant smile, "Where do you think you are going, Charmed One?"

Judging from her elaborate state of dress, all rich colors and lavish jewels, it didn't take Piper very long to figure out who it was she was facing. "Another Seer?" she groaned. "Haven't I vanquished enough of your kind yet?"

The smile vanished from the woman's face, replaced by an expression of anger and contempt, "You overestimate yourself, witch."

"I don't think so," Piper said, flinging her hands forward and causing a mini explosion above the Seer's left shoulder. She cried out in pain. "What? You didn't see that coming?"

The Seer shrieked. Flaming orbs appeared in each of her hands, and she sent one flying at both Piper and Dean. Piper deflected with a counter-explosion of her own, while Dean dove out of the way, landing with a thud and a loud grunt on the dirt floor. Piper scrambled over to help him up.

"You distract, I'll vanquish," she told him. He nodded in response. She watched as Dean's seraph blade dropped from inside his sleeve, and he charged the Seer, yelling at the top of his lungs. She didn't have much time to stand in awe of his sheer veracity. She dug deep into her pocket and gripped a glass vial of vanquishing potion. With a flick of her fingers she collapsed a rock formation behind the upper level demon, giving cause for even more distraction. She flung the potion and reveled in her success as it shattered on the floor and the Seer went up in flames of her own, disappearing before their very eyes.

Piper took a deep breath, thinking that vanquishing the Seer had become quite easy over the years. In fact, this time around it had seemed a little too easy. She looked to Dean and noted that he seemed puzzled as well.

"She didn't even try to come at me. It's almost like..."

"What?" Piper questioned as she watched Dean scan the room warily.

"It's almost like she was just the distraction."

Piper felt her heart jump, and in perfect tandem with her heartbeat, the demons in the room became unfrozen. There was a moment of silence, as if the she-demons all knew something was off, but they couldn't place it. Thinking fast, Piper began an exorcism as they inched their way toward the door, "Exorciamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potesta…"

Every demon in the room began to moan and look around for the source of their misery. Finally the black eyes of a blonde she-demon landed on Piper. She shrieked at the top of her lungs and pointed to where the witch and the hunter were standing. By this time, Piper was more than halfway through the ritual, and many of the demons were writhing around on the floor, unable to do anything to stop her.

Just as Piper was about to finish the incantation, a large cloud of red smoke entered the room. As the dust cleared and Piper saw who had arrived, her breath hitched, and she found she could no longer speak. There, in the center of the room, stood the very woman they had come to destroy. And wrapped in Rowena's arms, the claws from one of her hands digging into his side, while the others nearly punctured his throat, was her baby boy, her Chris, looking as though he had already given up.

She couldn't help herself as every instinct in her body told her to cry out to her son. All eyes turned and locked on her.

"Mom, run!" Chris yelled, but it was too late. Rowena's hoard of she-demons had already begun to recover, and many were behind Dean and Piper, making their escape impossible.

"Bring me the Winchester," Rowena demanded. It took seven demons and the muttering of a few magic words by the red head, to keep Dean restrained. Piper tried to life her hands looking for anything she could sink her powers into, but she found she was frozen in place, whether it was Rowena or the she-demons doing the freezing, was anyone's guess.

"I have to thank you Piper Halliwell. You and your sons have been so helpful throughout this process," Rowena replied, handing Chris off to the nearest pair of demons, their jet black eyes still chilling to Piper's soul. The evil witch waltzed over to a table stocked with enough ingredients to make any Wiccan's head spin, but clearly she knew what she was doing. She began adding every little ingredient in perfect increments to the bowl on the table, every once in a while glancing at a book she had opened before her. The book was old, and it gave Piper an uneasy feeling, like the entire world hinged on its contents.

Piper was made to watch as Rowena sliced open the palms of both Chris and Dean and let their blood be the final ingredient in the bowl. It struck her in that moment, that Rowena was entirely too prepared for this ritual. She began to think that maybe their spell had failed, and that the Seer had been in on their plan from the very beginning. They should have stayed in the bunker like Dean had suggested, but she had let her pride get in the way. If that hadn't happened, this may have gone very differently.

She felt her heart pick up as the red-haired sorceress began to chant in Latin, her phrasing long and eerie. Chris and Dean stood completely still, as though they were made of wood, their eyes communicating, very clearly, the great deal of pain they were in. Piper felt the earth beneath her feet begin to tremor ever so slightly. She watched as the she-demons let go of the two boys and their bodies began to float above the Earth. There seemed to be a light emanating from them as Rowena's chanting became louder and faster.

Suddenly Piper was overcome. This was it. Her nightmares were coming to life right before her eyes. Everything Chris had come back to stop, and everything he had promised the little girl now growing in her belly, was lost. She wanted to shout for Leo, for Castiel, for anyone who would hear her, but she couldn't move a single muscle. She thought as loudly as she possibly could, hoping that the Power of Three would help reach Paige, and that she could do something to stop all of this.

The madness of the ritual continued for a few more moments, and just as Rowena uttered the final words, her sister orbed into the room with Sam, Castiel, and Ruby. The four of them looked on in disbelief as a bright white light, and a pitch black cloud surrounded Chris and Dean respectively, before colliding together to create some kind of combustion that shielded them from view.

When the cloud dissipated, Rowena was gone. Her horde of she-demons were at a standstill, all clearly stunned by the magnitude of the spell. Piper searched the aftermath of the spell for the form of her son, and then she saw him. Chris was laying on the cold, stone floor, his body bent unnaturally, his eyes wide, and his chest still. Every instinct in Piper's body told her exactly what she would find when she got to him, but she could not stop herself from hoping anyway. Stumbling forward she felt every gaze in the room fall on her, and wasn't even phased by the fact that no demon stopped her as she made her way to her fallen son.

His green eyes were like glass, unmoving, unfeeling. She had seen this once before, and sworn she would never see it again. Chris, her baby boy, was dead. There was no saving him, nothing she could do, no way to change this outcome. A penetrating sense of guilt and pain welled up inside of Piper as she fell to her knees beside the body of her son. She felt it build until she could no longer hold the aching feeling inside. The Earth trembled beneath her as she let out a long wail and fell onto Chris's chest. She felt hot tears pour down her cheeks and a sharp pain shoot through her entire body as she shook him, trying to wake him, but knowing that the action was futile. In one day she had regained a son, and lost one too. She looked over and saw Sam and Paige standing over Dean's body, knowing full well that the hunter was dead as well. Rowena had pulled every last bit of life from them. Piper felt her despair turn to anger, lighting a fire in her heart. Chris would not go unavenged. The retribution for the death of her son would be great, and Rowena would never see it coming.

 **A/N: I know it has been so long since I updated, so to those of you still sticking with me, THANK YOU. This chapter was really difficult to write particularly because of the ending, but I think we all knew Demon!Dean would have the opportunity to show up at some point. And, what's a Supernatural story without a little Lucifer? There is so much drama to come! Keep reading and PLEASE REVIEW!**

 **XOXO, AryaUnderfoot**


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